OFN March 15, 2021

FEED, FIELDS & CROPS • POULTRY • PRODUCTION SALE

Family Pride MARCH 15, 2021 • 28 PAGES

VOLUME 15, NUMBER 1 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

After moving to Oklahoma in the 1930s, the Roberts family continues their family-farming operation

Building a Future at Heritage Acres Couple says they were always drawn to farming

Resources for First-Generation Farmers New producers have options for financing

Focused on Quality Forages The West family has been on their Arkansas farm for six generations

rumor mill

Students receive awards: Five honors students in University of Arkansas’ Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences have been awarded support for their projects from the college’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Project Grant Funding Program. Grace Clark, Daniella Duran, Amber Knoernschild, Nicholas Pohlman and Emily Spatz have been awarded between $875 and $1,000 for their individual research.

The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper

MARCH 15, 2021

Hauling water

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OzarksFarm @OzarksFarm

2

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

4

Jody Harris – Sometimes you just gotta be a cowgirl

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Julie Turner-Crawford – Thank you, farmers

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

7 Couple finds their own Green Acres

Skinner honored: The Research Center Administrators Society has bestowed its 2021 Distinguished Service Award to Vaughn Skinner, resident director of the Milo J. Shult Research and Extension Center in Arkansas. Skinner is the RCAS communications officer and as part of that job, Vaughn maintains the website, Facebook page, meeting records and distributes to applicable sites and platforms.

During his multi-year tenure as communications officer, he built the Facebook page and revamped the website to make it more user-friendly and accessible.

Know a Good Rumor?

VOL. 15, NO. 1

JUST A THOUGHT

3 Jerry Crownover –

Suit filed: Another lawsuit challenging Oklahoma’s handling of poultry feeding operations was filed March 4 in Delaware County (Okla.) District Court. The Spring Creek Coalition, a nonprofit citizens’ group, argues that the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry fell short in its obligation for oversight of poultry operations by issuing permits for dozens of new facilities without advanced notice to neighbors or nearby communities. Spring Creek drains a watershed that starts near the small community of Kansas in Delaware County and flows mostly through private lands in Cherokee and Mayes counties to its confluence with the Neosho River at Fort Gibson Lake. The suit specifically names operations built within the Spring Creek watershed since 2017 and alleges the Agriculture Department failed to undertake necessary environmental review or offer public notification when issuing permits. In February 2020, Delaware County District Court Judge Barry Denny ruled against the Oklahoma Water Resources Board on similar arguments, except they were in regard to issuing water well permits for poultry operations. The Tulsa law group brought that suit on behalf of a different set of Oklahoma landowners.

NEO riders compete at finals: Members of the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) Rodeo Team recently competed at the American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA) Finals Rodeo in Tulsa, Okla., with three riders finishing the circuit first in the world. Leading the team was Sophomore Hannah Hughes, from Fort Scott, Kan. Her performance in breakaway roping earned her first in the average. The finish also placed her first in the world in breakaway roping in the year-end results. The sophomore team roping pair of Mason Passmore of Proyor and Brent Mibb of Rose, Okla., finished their season first-place in the ACRA. NEO/OSU Pathways Senior Addee Carder from Miami, Okla., earned second in the average in breakaway roping. The weekend before, she took first in the IPRA International Finals Rodeo. Freshman Halle Tatham from Pryor joined Hughes and Carder in the breakaway roping, finishing top-ten in the year-end standings. Bronaugh, Mo., Sophomore Mason Couch earned the title of ACRA Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year. The award comes after finishing the IPRA circuit ranked ninth and the ACRA circuit ranked fourth.

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10

Farming with family for generations

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Eye on Agribusiness features L&S Feeds

13

Town & Country highlights Randy Williams

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Couple follows their dreams of farming

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Jed and Sarah Bicker have a little of everything

20

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Chloe and Blaine Silks

The West family focuses on forages

FARM HELP 21 Should your kids

get an allowance?

22 24

Frostbite recovery

Chicks require time and space

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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New farmers have options

MARCH 15, 2021

just a

thought

What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?

Life Is Simple

By Jerry Crownover

A

PO Box 1514, Lebanon, MO 65536

32ND EDITION PRODUCTION SALE Offering 60 Bulls

e f i L elpmiS si

50 Charolais • 10 Fullblood Akaushi

mong the many disasters and catastrophes that occurred around our farm, during the record-setting cold spell of February, the water line between the well house and barn evonworC corral yrreJ yB froze solid. The barn and rsurrounding is where I house my four herd bulls for the winter, and they are supplied water by two heated, automatic waterers.

Jerry Crownover is Unfortunately, the heated waterers don’t work if the water a farmer and former doesn’t reach them. professor of Agriculture For the past two weeks, I have whined and moaned to Education at Missouri my wife, on a daily basis, about how much I’ve been inState University. He is a convenienced by this added chore when I’ve got so many native of Baxter County, other things, like feeding and calving that HAVE to be Arkansas, and an done. Yesterday, obviously tired of hearing my complainauthor and professional ing, Judy asked, “Aren’t you the guy who brags about not speaker. To contact Jerry, having running water until you were 10 years old? What’s go to ozarksfn.com and the big deal?” click on ‘Contact Us.’ She’s right. I don’t know if I brag about it, but, in my adult life, I’ve always worn that fact as a badge of honor to proudly describe my upbringing.

We had a well, but we had to draw all the water up from beneath the ground using a rope and pulley system that drew up a long, slender, galvanized tube that would bring up about 3 to 4 gallons each draw. It was laborious, time-consuming (especially in cold weather), and we still had to carry it, in buckets, to each of the two barns and the hog pen several times each day.

Dad would carry two, 5-gallon buckets every trip to the barn. Mom, my sister and I, would follow, toting 3-gallon buckets in each hand, downhill to the main barn, but uphill to the other barn and hog pen. When it was as cold as it has been lately, or when there was snow or ice on the ground, the buckets were not only heavy but cumbersome when trying to maintain one’s balance. If you fell and spilled the water, you only hoped it was early on in your trip, so you wouldn’t have wasted all those steps.

— Continued on Page 6

Fullblood Akaushi Bred Heifers & Embryos F1 Heifers & Steers Commercial Cows Bred Akaushi Depend on ACE Genetics • Satisfaction Guaranteed

Saturday, March 20, 2021 1 p.m. Central At the Ranch • Carthage, Mo.

Visit our website for video’s and sale catalog.

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960 479-846-1002 • Fax: 479-846-1003 E-mail: editor@ozarksfn.com

Eric Tietze Publisher

Administrative Amanda Newell, Marketing Manager Eric Tietze, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Amanda Newell, Production Sales Circulation Eric Tietze, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production Contributors Kaylea Hutson-Miller, Kathy Parker, Jordan Robertson, Terry Ropp and Abby Wendel

About the Cover

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

The Roberts came from Arkansas to Oklahoma generations ago, but the family still farms. See more on page 10.

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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I

f you do not know who Dale Brisby is, you should certainly look him up on social media. His hilarious videos from his Texas Radiator Ranch and various rodeos are the comic relief I need once in a while.

Jody Harris is a freelance Most of his shenanigans end with a challenge “if communications specialist, you don’t do this or that, you ain’t no cowboy.” Our famgardener, ranch wife and ily loves to chide one another about whether we are each mother of four. She and “cowboy enough” around our own farm and ranch. her family raise Angus beef After a long cold weather snap, our farrier contacted me cattle and other critters on to get us back on schedule to get horses shod and trimmed. I their northwest Arkansas did not have enough notice on the day he was able to come ranch. She is a graduate so I had to juggle my family and work schedule around. of Missouri State University.

I started the morning taking three of our children to To contact Jody, go to school. From there I raced over to my office to take care ozarksfn.com and click on of some tenants and check out a moving rental truck. I ‘Contact Us.’ thought I had organized my schedule well enough to make it home to get horses up to be ready.

By the time I made it back to the farm, I was cutting my timeline close. I got some feed and rounded our horses up in the round pen. This time of year, they are greedy eaters so they were pretty feisty that morning. I grabbed halters for each one and got them ready to go up the hill where they were going to be shod.

I decided to save myself some time and lead them up closer to the house two at a time. Because, if you don’t lead horses two or three at a time, you ain’t no cowboy (or at least that’s what I imagined ol’ Dale Brisby would have said to me that morning). I opened the gate and apparently it was not wide enough for both horses to come through gracefully. One of the mares spooked and knocked me facedown into the mud. Both lead ropes razored skin off my hands and the horse ran right over top of me. I screamed like I was in a horror film. I was not ready for that. It scared me to death.

I got up and assessed the situation. I was dirty, a little bruised and the deepest wound was to my pride. I was so glad no one was around to witness this ridiculous display of horsemanship.

The horses were still close by and I grabbed my feed bucket and chummed them back over to me. I tied one up and led them one at a time up the hill where I met the farrier.

He arrived early but I was ready. I had groomed the horses and cut bridle paths before he started his work. I guess I really did not need to be in that big of a hurry after all. Every time I get in a rush, some calamity always seems to happen to me or someone else. I am in my 40s and I decided that day I am probably not as tough of a cowgirl as I used to be. But just the same, I hopped (maybe limped) up, dusted off and learned my lesson, neighbor.

Did You Know?

4 The poultry industry accounts for just over 35 percent of the total value of Arkansas agriculture.

4 Arkansas is the largest producer of rice in the U.S. 4 Soybeans account for 25 percent of the total value of Arkansas crops.

4 Two-thirds of the corn grown in Arkansas is fed to the poultry industry.

4 Arkansas farmers produce around 1.2 billion broiler chickens annually.

4

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

just a thought

March 13, 2021 * 12 noon Wheeler Livestock Auction, Osceola, MO Selling 60 RED Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls Plus! Red Pairs, Breds & Open Heifers!

Across the Fence

DVAuction Auction ALL SALES! Bid & Buy at: DV South Missouri Bull & Female Sale

By Julie Turner-Crawford

I

t’s finally March, and the official start of spring is just days away.

Like most of you, I am glad to get the winter months behind us, especially the brutal February we just went Julie Turner-Crawford through. I know there can still be some snow and ice is a native of Dallas in March, but I’m trying to be optimistic.

County, Mo., where she Growing up in the Ozarks, I remember winters with heavy grew up on her family’s snow, but it was usually gone in a few days. As the snow farm. She is a graduate melted, it made great snowballs, which were more like iceof Missouri State balls. My brothers were pretty good shots with those things.

University. To contact There’s also a picture somewhere at Dad’s of my younger Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 brother holding an icicle that is as long as he is tall. Once in or by email at editor@ a while there would be sleds pulled behind Dad’s truck, which ozarksfn.com.

I usually didn’t participate in; yep, I was a wimp. I was scared Dad might go a little too fast and I would go flying. I also wasn’t a fan of taking off down a hill on a toboggan. I think it was a fear of broken bones and facing Mom with those broken bones that kept my feet firmly on the ground most of the time.

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Spaghetti Pie OFN Staff Favorite • 1 onion, chopped • 1/4 C chopped green bell pepper • 1 C chopped tomatoes • 6 ounces tomato paste • 1 tsp white sugar • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp garlic powder • 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: Cook spaghetti in water with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon oil until tender but still firm. Drain. Add eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Mix and shape into a crust in a greased 10-inch pie plate or springform pan. Spread cottage cheese over crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the beef, onion and green pepper until beef is thoroughly browned. Mix in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, salt and garlic powder. Spread mixture over cottage cheese. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

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

MARCH 15, 2021

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page Many farmers across the nation struggled to keep livestock, especially newborn and young calves, goat kids and lambs, alive in the frigid polar vortex. It’s hard to leave those little ones out in the elements when it’s that cold. As I write this, the sun peering through my office window makes me want to ball up like an old cat and soak it all in.

It’s also nice not to be wearing three layers of clothes; I feel 20 pounds lighter.

It’s unusual for the Ozarks to have so many consecutive days with temperatures in the singles digits or below zero, so it was a hard hit for everyone. I’m not a fan of winter, and when someone says, “Look at the snow! Isn’t it pretty?” I cringe. The cold doesn’t bother me, as long as I have on those layers, but it’s harder to get around outside, hoses and hydrants freeze, people forget how to drive, and things simply don’t want to start. Bill and I got my dad a jump box for Christmas but had to exchange the first one (and the second one) because it just wouldn’t crank a tractor.

The new one is now only slightly used as I had to use it to start the truck, so at least I know this one works.

The recent weather only reinforces that farmers and ranchers are among the toughest people on the planet. As people huddled up and hunkered down, farmers and ranchers persevered on, doing what needed to be done.

If you go to the Ozarks Farm & Neighbor Facebook page, you will see a post where we asked folks to post photos of themselves or their family as they did their chores. The images show

just how hard it is to be a livestock producer when Mother Nature has a temper tantrum.

Do you know who wasn’t out on our farms and ranches during this time? Groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Animal Rights Collation and the Humane Society of the United States. These folks are more like fair-weather protestors.

They choose not to see what farmers and ranchers go through to ensure every animal is taken care of because that wouldn’t coincide with their cruelty and neglect accusations. It’s not unusual for these organizations to be noshows when farmers and ranchers can use a hand; it has been proven time and time again.

As the seasons change, I’m sure I will be writing about too much rain, not enough rain, or maybe more snow. We don’t know what is ahead. None of us have crystal balls to predict the weather or anything else for that matter, but I can say with certainty that farms won’t close because of weather.

Thank you to all of our farmers in the Ozarks for your hard work day in and day out. You don’t get the recognition you deserve for your hard work and perseverance, and for your constant battle to get along with Mother Nature.

Thank you for being what you are.

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 I can remember my hands and feet being so cold after making a few treks to the barns that I would want to cry and quit, but I knew if I did, it would only make more trips required for my parents and sister, so I kept on. Besides, Dad would have warmed my backside had I complained – and I didn’t want to warm up in that way.

After a few minutes of meditation and reflection on how it was in the good old days, I decided that turning on the hydrant, up by

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

the house, then sitting in the heated cab of my tractor watching the water hose fill barrels and milk cans wasn’t nearly as tough as those youthful days of drawing water from an old well and carrying them, by hand.

I also promised my wife that I would quit complaining and whining…about the water problem, at least. Can’t make that same assurance about other calamities that are occurring at the present.

MARCH 15, 2021

meet your

The Real Green Acres

neighbors

By Kaylea Hutson-Miller

Monica Bagwell and Bryan Walker find their place at Walker Ranch Cattle Company Green Acres may be a fictional tale of farm-crossed lovers, but it’s real life for Monica Bagwell and Bryan Walker.

Their love story is the case of country boy meets city girl, marry and instead of moving into town they join forces to create Walker Ranch Cattle Company, a 20-acre operation in Northeast Oklahoma outside of Welch, Okla.

The couple married in 2014. Together they have two sons, Bryson, 12, and Brant, 16.

When they met, Walker was looking for land to purchase to branch out

on his own from his family’s agribusiness.

Monica admits going into the marriage she was a “straight up city kid from Tulsa.”

Now thanks to Master Cattleman classes offered through Oklahoma State University Extension, she works alongside Walker in the family’s endeavor.

“It was a learning curve for sure,” Monica said, adding the classes which included a cow/calf boot camp were, life changing.

“I took the courses because I can’t jump Welch, Okla. into something and not know [things]. I knew I needed to get more information, to be able to take care of the critters.”

Photos by Kaylea Hutson-Miller

MARCH 15, 2021

The couple’s ranch includes 15 head of black Angus commercial cows. Sharing a bull with Walker’s cousin’s ranch, they mainly have fall calves.

Monica said they’ve moved their operation from selling steers to selling pasture-raised, grain-fed processed meat by the quarter or half directly to the consumer.

The grain mix contains no hormones.

The couple buys their feed from Bartlett Coop out of Chetopa, Kansas.

Other animals on the ranch include an assortment of chickens, which Monica jokingly calls the “barnyard mix” featuring everything from Easter Eggers, and Golden Lace and Silver Lace Wyandottes, to Red Island Reds and Brahma Chickens.

They often find a new variety to add to their brood at the Afton Poultry Swap, a swap meet set between Afton and Grove on Highway 59. The event, now in its 34th year, takes place the third full weekend of each month.

“They are so fun to watch,” Bagwell said.

“I’ll just sit out there for hours. The hens talk to the chicks, the roosters talk to the hens – they all have their own personalities.”

While both have jobs off the ranch – Walker as a salesman for a bottle company, and Bagwell as a marketing professional for a medical office – they see their corner of the world as a potential retirement oasis.

“This is our little slice of heaven,” Bagwell said. “We just chill out, hang out and watch the cows. It’s peaceful. Our little place out in the country, watching the calves grow up.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

7

meet your neighbors

Focused on Quality Forages

Submitted Photo

By Terry Ropp

The West family has been on their Arkansas farm for six generations The Randy and Cheryl West farm in needed extensive and costly updating. The Prairie Grove, Ark., was founded in couple decided it was the right time to leave 1860 by Robert Jay West. Randy and the poultry industry. They did, however, conCheryl are the fourth generation with their tinue forage production and a cow/calf operdaughters being the fifth and their grandchil- ation.

“The process of watching hay grow dren the sixth to farm the land. and then cutting, raking and balFarms like theirs capture the ing it is very satisfying,” Cheryl heart of American agriculture by Prairie Grove, Ark. explained. “Randy is a perfectionchanging, evolving and adapting ist and everything he does helps us as times dictate. Chicken producproduce high-quality hay and maintion began in 1957, with Randy tain customers year after year.” taking over in 1974. After raising In the 1980s, the couple identified a chickens for 40 years, the houses

Randy and Cheryl West, pictured with their grandson Brody, strive to produce top-quality hay, in addition to their cow/calf operation.

Offering....65 fall & yearling Gelbvieh/Gelford bulls 5 Gelbvieh show heifers 25 pens of Gelbvieh, Gelford and Gelbvieh influenced open heifers

14th Annual

Fall Gelbvieh/Gelbvieh influenced bred heifers

Production Sale

Saturday, April 3, 2021 • 1:00 p.m. CST

Sells at Lot 1 “American Pride”

He Sells!

Selling the Res. National Champ.

Pen of Three Gelbvieh Bulls

He Sells!

First calf Gelbvieh & commercial Gelbvieh influenced heifer pairs

She Sells!

She Sells!

Circle S Ranch

John & Carla Shearer & Family • Canton, Kansas Home 620-628-4621 • John Cell 620-654-6507 • Johnny Cell 620-654-6731 Email: circle_s@hometelco.net www.circlesgelbvieh.com

8

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

Photo by Lindsay Kennedy

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high-demand niche market for horse hay.

Then, after leaving the chicken industry, they parceled off 220 acres for hay production.

While West Farm always produced some hay, the acreage needed to be plowed and sprigged for optimum production. Bermudagrass was a good choice because the species grows well in Arkansas’s climate, while also having the appropriate nutrition. As the acreage was transitioned, they purchased bermudagrass sprigs and cut some from their fields.

Fields are broadcast sprayed with a pre-emergence spray that hinders weed growth though some, especially crabgrass, breakthrough. Clovers are not welcome in a hayfield because they can shade out the Bermudagrass. Those weeds that breakthrough the pre-emergent barrier are broadcast sprayed and/or spot sprayed according to need.

Hhay fields are soil tested annually for pH level, as well as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen levels. If any of those nutrients are off balance, production volume suffers. Consequently, the hay fields are fertilized according to the specific needs of each field.

For the last several years, Randy has applied liquid nitrogen. Currently, a third party spreads blended potassium and phosphorus on the fields, with lime being spread separately because of weight issues. The volume used in their hay fields is large enough to make purchasing each nutrient separately by the semi-load a significant cost-cutting measure. The plan is for Randy to apply all of the components separately according to each fields’ needs.

MARCH 15, 2021

“Our most difficult obstacle is Mother Nature,” Randy said. “We don’t have irrigation so we are totally dependent on rain. Fortunately, if one year hay quality doesn’t meet the higher standards for horse hay, I can still sell it as cow hay, which means the year won’t be a total wash. We believe in the Golden Rule and want to treat all people fairly. We sell exactly what we offer. It’s the right thing to do and it’s good for business because my customers know they can trust me.”

The remaining 300 acres of West Farm are devoted to a cow/calf operation. The pastures are comprised of Bermudagrass, fescue and clover and fertilized in the spring while weeds are sprayed as needed. The acreage is divided into four pastures, which are sometimes over seeded with wheat in the fall. Except for a five-year period a number of years ago, the farm has always produced cattle.

The herd is now managed by their son-inlaw Colt Bartholomew.

The farm’s herd is made up of 130 heavily Angus-influenced cows bred by both Hereford and Black Hereford bulls. The combination is intended to produce mainly black baldies, with an occasional red-white face.

The majority of the herd calves are born in late September which blends well with the hay production cycle. Calves are sold at weaning, if the market is right. If not, they retain the calves until the market is more favorable, sometimes a month sometimes three. Calves are fed a commerical ration, with the herd receiving mostly grass and hay.

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

9

ozarks

roots

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home

Pride

By Terry Ropp

After moving to Oklahoma in the 1930s, the Roberts family continues their family farming operation This is a story of six generations of the Roberts family which began in the Huntsville area of Arkansas and switched to the Westville area of Oklahoma.

John Roberts, who was born in 1866 in Metalton, Mo., eventually owned a sawmill near Huntsville. In 1903, he “got into it” with a doctor he owed money to.

Though details are sketchy, John shot and killed that doctor and spent time in jail before his trial. However, the jury found him

10

not guilty, and he remained in Huntsville running his sawmill business.

In 1929, his son Ed saw the local bully beating his wife. Ed intervened and beat up the husband, thus beginning a very strong family feud. One day the bully got drunk and told Ed to get a gun and be ready because today he would die. However, things turned out differently and the wife beater died. Ed, too, was found not guilty.

Realizing that staying in the Huntsville area would be problematic. In 1932,

Ed sold the family’s 3,000 acres in Madison County and purchased 625 acres of flat land with only 20 acres of woodland.

Half of the acreage was in Adair County, Okla., while the other half was across the state line in Washington County, Ark. Ed wanted a new location and fresh start for the family. Realizing the wisdom in his son’s decision, John moved onto the new land as well. The two raised crops, including corn, wheat and milo. The new land had two small hills not suitable for crops

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

which is where they kept their cow herd, beginning with Herefords. The farm also produced vegetables and strawberries and maintained 150 hogs.

By 1951, Ed had constructed a large barn that is still in prime condition and in use today. For the last three years, the Roberts family has hosted a live Nativity scene in the barn with all the proceeds going toward the construction of an orphanage in Kenya. Neighbors donate some of the animals, with a Brahman bull serving as a MARCH 15, 2021

ozarks roots camel with the hump in the wrong place. The purpose of the orphanage is to remove orphaned girls from village life to a safer one in town. Thus far land has been purchased and a well drilled.

During Ed’s time, one lean-to of the large barn was used as a farrowing house, while the other side was reserved for cows having calving difficulties. They sold grain out of the barn with vegetables and strawberries probably sold locally.

The loft area, 2,000-square feet and 52 square bales high, was originally used for loose hay with the old hay hook remaining as a reminder of years gone by. The ground level is 7,000-square feet, including two lean-tos. The main barn is constructed of beautifully preserved tongue and groove oak, and contains a manger the length of the barn. One of the family stories concerns Ed’s grandson Paul Lee. He was only 7 years old at the time and was instructed to pound nails into the very hard oak. Needless to say, the young boy struggled to get the nails in.

Ed would inspect his work and make him pull out any nails that weren’t perfectly positioned. The lesson took because Paul Lee ended up being as particular in everything he did, including on the farm he eventually owned. An important change came when Paul switched from crops to Herefords and later Limousins.

“Paul was more businessman than farmer,” said great grandson Eddie, who is also the current farm owner. “Through the years, Paul acquired various businesses, including a movie theater, a feed store and 32 rental houses. He also sold mobile homes.”

Paul was very civic-minded and, according to Eddie, more like a politician than a rancher. Various people managed most of businesses though Paul did manage the farm with his father and son, Paul Lee, doing most of the work. Paul was the first to start a family tradition of being firemen. Paul was a fireman for 20 years, while his brother Troy served for 30. Paul Lee also served for 20 years, with Eddie having served 26 years so far, six as assistant fire chief and nine as chief.

Paul was a significant influence in Eddie’s life, unlike his father and grandfather, because he was always calm. One day when Eddie was about 20 years old, he was putting hay in a new tin barn.

Grandpa Paul told him to quit riding the tractor clutch because he was going too fast and was going to damage the new barn.

“Of course, I didn’t listen and soon put two holes in the barn,” Eddie said. “I went to my father, who told me I needed to tell my grandpa. Grandpa was working in the field. He saw how upset I was and came to talk to me. When I told him what happened, he MARCH 15, 2021

calmly explained he had three hours to think of what he was going to do to me. Needless to say, those were three terrible hours. When time was up, he told me that he was going to leave those two holes rather than fix them so every time I saw them, I would remember how disappointed he was in me. He also said I would remember this after he was long gone and he was right. From that one incident I learned to be calm, to think ahead and to pay attention.”

The women of the family are also strong and independent. In the early 1960s, during the civil rights and women’s rights era, Eddie’s maternal grandfather Leland Morris did not want Eddie’s mother Wanda to go to college. That didn’t seem to mean much because both Leland’s wife Wanda and Eddie’s mom Iva Carol attended college together.

Both became teachers, with Wanda teaching reading and Iva Carol teaching physics, trigonometry and biology when men almost universally dominated those areas. Eddie’s wife Amy has the same strength.

Amy suffered serious physical difficulties and was confined to a scooter for four years. Following the tradition of the strong women before her, she teaches rehab classes two nights a week as a way of helping others the way she was helped. She also helps out on the farm when and where she can.

“I’m a lucky man,” Eddie explained. “She’s a great farm wife and cooks like crazy.”

Currently, the farm runs 220 heavily Angus-influenced females bred by eight bulls, Angus and a few Hereford for the production of black baldies.

Spring and fall calves are weaned at 6 months and fed out until they weigh 700 to 800 pounds when Photos by Terry Ropp they are sold in Benton County or Fort Smith. Additionally, some heifers are sold off the farm as breeding stock. The farm produces an abundance of hay with the family custom baling as well. Most of the hay goes to the cattle, though 300 large bales a year are sold locally.

Family traditions are holding strong. Eddie teaches history at Westville High School, where he was a coach for baseball and football for several years. He and Amy have a 19-year-old son named Jacob and daughter Amber who is married to Bairon. In 2020, both children purchased a farm, making both Eddie and Amy proud of what their kids have accomplished at such a young age.

“The farm is large enough and my goal is to turn it over to our children,” Eddie said. “I always want to leave things better than I found them, which I believe I did with the fire department and hope to do with the farm by continually improving the infrastructure. Right now, I’m focusing on fences and buildings.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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By Terry Ropp

Owner: Shawn Lee Location: Vian, Oklahoma History: “I grew up in Akins, Okla., where my parents Delbert and Becky Lee owned and operated a convenience/feed store with my dad retiring from the feed business in 1994,” owner Shawn Lee said. “Now my dad and I run a commercial cattle ranch and I have my own feed store. Since I knew the feed business from my childhood, starting one of my own made sense. In 2002, I built the facility I am using now.”

Products and Services: “Vian is a small town and my feed store meets the needs of the community. When I started out, I changed oil for people because the other places in town just sold gas and I needed something to help until my business grew. I once considered closing the oil changing section when the feed business took off, but it’s just too popular and people are patient. I carry vet supplies and sell all kinds of livestock feed including, show feeds. In addition to selling Mid-America cattle feed by the bag, I also sell a 14-percent protein bulk four-way commodity mix of wheat mibs, distillers’ grain, soy hulls and corn. This is my third season for doing so, and the mix is proving to be very popular all year-round, even in summer when feed needs drop due to grass availability. Typically, I sell two semi loads a week. For horses I offer Show Sheen and Main ‘n Tail shampoos and conditioners. Show Tech

by ADM focuses mostly on pigs and lambs while ADM supplies my chicken needs including 18-percent protein Chicken Grower and 20-percent protein Egg Maker. Other poultry supplies I carry are hen scratch and laying pellets. ADM’s Master Gain loose mineral, as well as salt blocks, sulfur blocks and sack salt are available. In the spring I sell gardening plants and support products such as bagged fertilizer, pasture spray 2-4 D, Grazon Next, Remedy and Round-Up. Of course, I have dog and cat food, and if somebody has a sweet tooth, I have locally-made peanut brittle, honey and jellies.”

Future: “I’m pretty happy with the way things are now, but I’m always open to some expansion if that seems like a good idea at the time.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

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Hometown: Berryville, Ark. Family: Wife Jeanne; sons Heith and Jeremy; daughter Jenny; and grandchildren Dayton (22), Hayton (20), Foster (12), Maverick (2), Keileigh (20), Destiny (19) and Aly (17)

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In Town: “My dad Melvin went to auctions throughout Arkansas and Missouri buying replacement dairy cows for his herd. The dairy business went south and I’ve been a carpenter and a welder but continued to go to estate and small farm auctions with my wife Jeanne. One day we decided we needed to be making money instead of spending it. Therefore, in 1999, I went to an auction school in St. Joseph, Mo. I then opened my business, Williams Auction Service in Berryville. My first auction ended up being my grandmother’s estate and I was very nervous in spite of being well prepared. Additionally, I have also been an agent for Williams Properties Real Estate since 2000.”

In the Country: “I have raised cattle all my life, beginning when I was 8. I now run 40 acres and keep a small herd of commercial cattle. Because of my busy schedule, the bull stays with the cows all of the time. Fortunately, the herd seems to have naturally synchronized into general fall and spring calving. I work my herd twice a year using a vaccination protocol.

Because I enjoy it, I use my three horses to work the cattle. I spray for flies and fly bags for further support. The herd is basically grass- and hay-fed, with me raising some hay but buying most of it locally. Calves are weaned at 7 months and then put on a 12-percent protein ration until I’m ready to sell. I also occasionally feed cubes to the herd so the cattle remain easy to handle. Last fall, I didn’t want to sell my calves, so I have a group that are now close to being yearlings. I fertilize every year with chicken litter and broadcast spray for weeds. While cattle are important, so is family. Jeanne and I have always enjoyed sharing the farm with the family and are now having an especially good time with our youngest grandson. The kids love riding horses and swimming in the river. Because this is a family farm, it is going to go to our family and hopefully remain for many generations to come.

MARCH 15, 2021

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13

slaughter

market sales reports

bulls

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Ash Flat Livestock

beef

67.00-89.00 † None Reported †

Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs Cattlemen’s Livestock 53.50-87.00* Cleburne County Livestock Auction 74.00-89.00 † † County Line Sale Barn 50.00-70.00 Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Regional Sale Fort Smith Stockyards Four State Stockyards - Exeter I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Stockyards Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest

cattle

Slaughter Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 330.00-465.00.

Kids - Selection 2: 275.00-385.00.

Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 120.00-195.00.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 130.00-230.00.

Replacement Goats: Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 160.00-380.00.

Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid: 150.00-255.00.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 330.00-390.00.

Feeder Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 415.00-500.00.

Kids - Selection 2: 325.00-370.00.

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle 3/7/21 Kids - Selection 3: 285.00-315.00.

Slaughter Goats: 5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo, Nm, Mn) Kids - Selection 1: 365.00-490.00.

Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Kids - Selection 2: 315.00-385.00.

Steers: 110.00-114.00 ; wtd. avg. price 113.46 Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 220.00-290.00.

Heifers: 111.00-114.00; wtd. avg. price 113.47.

Nannies/Does - Selection 3: 155.00-200.00.

Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 205.00-305.00.

Steers: 178.00-180.00; wtd. avg. price 179.19.

Replacement Goats: Heifers: Not Reported; wtd. avg. price Not Reported.

Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 260.00-340.00.

Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid: 450.00-465.00.

(Week of 2/28/21 to 3/6/21)

None Reported †

Not Reported* None Reported*

52.00-89.00* 55.00-101.00* 75.00-100.00* 69.00-90.00 † 62.00-101.00 † 92.00* None Reported † 64.00-96.00 † 40.00-82.00 †

sheep &

goats

Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards Sheep/Goat

Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat

2/27/21

Receipts: 1,044 A capacity crowd was on hand for this Saturday sale.

Diamond, Mo. • TS White Sheep/Goat 3/4/21 OKC West - El Reno Compared to last month’s sale, slaughter lambs traded Receipts: 568 Ouachita Livee 14.00-30.00 lower, while slaughter ewes traded steady A large crowd was on hand for this first sale in March.

Ozarks Regional Stockyards 60.00-102.50 † Compared to last month, slaughter lambs traded 20.00- to 10.00 higher. Replacement ewes and families traded Stilwell Livestock Auction 64.00-89.00* steady on a large supply and good demand. Feeder kid 30.00 higher with a quality offering. Slaughter ewes Tulsa Livestock Auction 78.00-96.00 † goats traded up to 25.00 higher, with slaughter kid goats traded up to 20.00 higher. Replacement ewes traded 75.00-97.00* Welch Stockyards up to 10.00 higher. Kid feeder goats traded up to 65.00 trading steady to 15.00 higher. Replacement goats traded steady. Overall supply was moderate with good demand.

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 higher, while kid slaughter goats traded 80.00 higher.

Supply included: 51% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (81% Hair Slaughter nannies traded up to 13.00 higher. Bidding Breeds, 15% Hair Ewes, 3% Hair Bucks); 15% Replacewas active with new buyers as well with active internet ment Sheep/Lambs (72% Hair Ewes, 28% Families); 5% bidding and buying. Supply was light with very good Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 20% Slaughter Goats (70% demand. Supply included: 47% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (Week of 2/28/21 to 3/6/21) (3% Wooled & Shorn, 64% Hair Breeds, 3% Ewes, 27% Kids, 19% Nannies/Does, 11% Bucks/Billies); 8% Replacement Goats (88% NanHair Ewes, 4% Hair Bucks); 3% Replacement Sheep/ Arkansas Cattle Auction 26.00-63.00 † nies/Does, 8% Families, 5% Bucks/Billies).

Lambs (46% Hair Ewes, 54% Families); 14% Feeder Ash Flat Livestock None Reported † Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs None Reported † Goats (100% Kids); 29% Slaughter Goats (40% Kids, Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 275.00-350.00.

Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 35.00-64.00* 34% Nannies/Does, 26% Bucks/Billies); 7% ReplaceHair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 280.00-310.00.

Cleburne County Livestock Auction 48.00-59.00 † 4 ment Goats (93% Nannies/Does, 7% Families).

Hair Ewes - Good 1-3: 140.00.

30.00-57.00 † Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: County Line Sale - Ratcliff Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 120.00-135.00.

Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* Wooled & Shorn - Choice 1-3: 190.00-230.00.

Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 105.00-150.00.

None Reported* Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 285.00-360.00.

Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2: 100.00-110.00.

Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 240.00-310.00.

Farmers Regional Sale Barn 30.00-62.00* Hair Bucks - 1-2: 110.00-150.00.

Ewes - Good 2-3: 125.00.

20.00-63.50* 2 Fort Smith Stockyards Replacement Sheep/Lambs: Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 115.00-192.50.

13.00-66.00* Four State Stockyards Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2: 170.00-300.00.

Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 112.50-130.00.

I-40 Livestock - Ozark 26.00-64.50 † 2 Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb: Joplin Regional Hair Bucks - 1-2: 180.00-240.00.

15.00-69.00 † 120.00-390.00.

Hair Bucks 2-3: 135.00-140.00.

Mid-State Stockyards 72.00* Feeder Goats: Replacement Sheep/Lambs: North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest None Reported † Kids - Selection 1: 425.00-465.00.

Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2: 205.00-245.00.

31.00-71.50 † 3 OKC West - El Reno Kids - Selection 2: 332.50-380.00.

Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb: 30.00-50.00 † 3 Ouachita Livestock Auction - Ola Kids - Selection 3: 250.00.

260.00-450.00.

Ozarks Regional 10.00-77.00 †

slaughter

cows

Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction Welch Stockyards

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

50.00-68.00*

24

44

64

84

stocker & feeder

104

3/3/21 578

Cleburne County Livestock✝ 3/1/21 140

County Line Sale Ratcliff✝ 3/3/21 623

Uneven

Uneven

-----

-----

159.00-192.50 151.00-179.00 130.00-174.50 133.50-157.00 123.00-137.00

179.00-217.00 156.00-197.00 144.00-174.00 135.00-148.00 124.00-143.00

119.00-193.00 125.00-190.00 116.00-166.00 94.00-139.00 -----

170.00-210.00 155.00-180.00 154.00-172.00 ---------

160.00-179.00 140.00-174.00 135.00-155.50 131.00-149.00 120.00-130.00

175.00-185.00 150.00-175.00 126.00-161.00 105.00-126.00 100.00-102.50

----143.00-165.00 130.00-155.00 ---------

175.00-212.00 153.00-185.00 135.00-156.00 123.00-137.00 122.00

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

----150.00-170.00 130.00-140.00 100.00-122.00 -----

--------135.00-136.00 130.00-138.00 115.00

145.00-170.00 126.00-155.00 116.00-134.00 90.00-120.00 105.00-124.00

141.00-170.00 137.00-159.00 117.00-139.00 113.00-128.00 105.00-119.50

146.00-169.00 140.00-164.00 119.00-146.00 120.00-127.00 117.00

116.00-164.00 102.00-148.00 106.00-135.00 90.00-125.00 -----

150.00-160.00 136.00-147.00 120.00-134.00 115.00-125.00 -----

135.00-148.00 130.00-142.00 119.00-134.00 116.00-130.00 113.00-121.00

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy✝ 3/2/21 583

Ash Flat Livestock✝

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

3/5/21 3,009

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs✝ 3/4/21 2,603

St-15 Higher

-----

179.00-212.50 155.00-192.50 148.00-179.00 120.00-146.75 120.00-127.00

---------

Farmer’s & Ranchers Vinita, Okla.* 3/3/21 -----

Farmers Regional Sale Barn* 3/5/21 309

-----

-----

-----

-----

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

184.00-189.00 173.00-184.00 157.00-173.00 ---------

164.00-189.00 159.00-176.00 137.00-155.00 131.00-141.00 111.00-130.00

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

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

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

150.00-155.00 142.00-150.00 130.00-142.00 ---------

Decatur Livestock*

NOT REPORTED

4

35.00-67.00* 47.00-67.50 † 4

NONE REPORTED

0

2/23/21

Receipts: 423 Another large crowd was on hand for the Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep and Goat sale. Compared to last month, slaughter lambs traded up to 9.00 higher.

A small offering of slaughter goats traded up to 50.00 higher. Not enough supply of other classes for a comparison. Supply was light with very good demand and active bidding. Supply included: 85% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (78% Hair Breeds, 21% Hair Ewes, 1% Hair Bucks); 1% Replacement Sheep/Lambs (100% Families); 1% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 12% Slaughter Goats (83% Kids, 13% Nannies/Does, 4% Bucks/Billies).

Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 280.00-370.00.

Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 280.00-330.00.

Hair Breeds - Good 1-2: 247.50.

Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 140.00-255.00.

Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 100.00-120.00.

Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2: 70.00-90.00.

Hair Bucks - 1-2: 117.50-122.50.

Replacement Sheep/Lambs: Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb: 195.00-320.00.

Feeder Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 370.00.

Slaughter Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 350.00-450.00.

Kids - Selection 2: 325.00-392.50.

Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 170.00-235.00.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 237.50-255.00.

Cheese: B $1.7325. T (+0.0375) Fluid Milk with Florid an earlier production Bottling o demands. impact of ranges from manufactu for seasona cream man East, cond were limit are 1.1500 Midwest, a SPOT PR BUTTERF - 1.7832 -

av

So 24 18 12 6 0 Blyt

h

prices

Fort Smith Four State Stockyards* Stockyards Exeter, Mo* 3/1/21 3/2/21 1,387 2,892

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 3/4/21 1,077

Joplin Regional Stockyards✝ 3/1/21 13,551

St-5 Lower

Uneven

Uneven

125.00-204.00 120.00-194.00 115.00-167.00 109.00-154.00 -----

180.00-196.00 170.00-187.50 166.00-182.50 140.00-160.00 120.00-138.00

172.50-207.50 152.50-184.00 140.00-170.00 130.00-148.00 117.00-138.00

190.00-215.00 175.00-205.00 159.00-187.00 140.50-156.00 134.00-140.25

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

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

168.00-186.00 145.00-171.00 140.00-158.00 120.00-139.50 115.00-121.00

--------120.00-146.00 123.00-132.00 118.00-121.00

----160.00-164.00 155.00-163.00 140.00-157.50 124.00

138.00-145.00 135.00-146.00 120.00-130.00 100.00-122.00 107.00-114.00

117.00-170.00 109.00-176.50 103.00-146.00 100.00-133.00 -----

140.00-158.00 140.00-159.00 137.00-151.00 120.00-134.00 120.00-130.00

140.00-175.00 133.00-155.00 120.00-141.00 116.00-131.00 103.00-128.00

150.00-162.00 150.00-166.00 132.00-155.00 125.00-140.00 124.00-132.00

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

National Dai

MARCH 15, 2021

Mi Stoc

3

110 110 115 100 100

100 100 100 95.

90.

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1360.00 * Cleburne County Livestock Auction - Heber Springs County Line Sale - Ratcliff 1050.00 † Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Regional Sale Barn - Springdale

Corn

Sorghum

14.72

14.68

14.68

14.50

6.68

6.69

6.48

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

12 6.00 5.81

0 Blyt

le

hevil

na

Hele

5.79

e

Elain

eola

Osc

Little

k

Roc

prices

Welch Stockyards

0

State yards er, Mo* 2/21 892

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 3/4/21 1,077

Joplin Regional Stockyards✝ 3/1/21 13,551

Mid-State Stockyards*

Lower

Uneven

Uneven

-186.00 -171.00 -158.00 -139.50 -121.00

-158.00 -159.00 -151.00 -134.00 -130.00

--------120.00-146.00 123.00-132.00 118.00-121.00

----160.00-164.00 155.00-163.00 140.00-157.50 124.00

steers 550-600 LBS.

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

250

None Reported † Not Reported * None Reported * None Reported *

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

*** *** ***

150.00-162.00 150.00-166.00 132.00-155.00 125.00-140.00 124.00-132.00

1750

2250

-----

St-6 Higher

St-5 Lower

8-10 Higher

-----

MARCH 15, 2021

100.00-153.00 100.00-146.00 100.00-137.00 95.00-136.00 90.00-127.00

146.00-172.00 135.00-155.00 129.00-149.00 124.00-134.75 115.00-128.00

165.00-188.00 150.00-176.00 131.00-159.00 123.00-143.00 118.50-133.50

126.50-144.00 124.00-133.00 118.00-125.00 124.00 117.00-118.00

159.00-171.00 140.00-156.00 132.00-144.00 126.50-136.50 124.00-125.00

143.00-154.00 134.00-150.00 119.00-141.00 113.00-126.00 95.00-117.00

*** ***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

129.02 *** 137.36 130.76

190.00-215.00 179.50-190.50 171.00-185.25 147.00-160.00 120.50-133.50 188.00 165.00-180.00 148.00-165.00 115.00-131.00 -----

164.41 135.39 147.46 ** 160.40

180.00-195.00 160.00-188.00 150.00-185.00 135.00-155.00 120.00-141.00 160.00-191.00 150.00-185.00 130.00-160.00 110.00-131.00 90.00-112.00

157.00-174.00 154.00-164.50 147.00-160.50 125.00-138.50 108.00-122.00

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

150.00-163.00 145.00-170.00 128.00-155.00 115.00-139.00 115.00-123.00

127.29 **

133.11 132.84

171.44

3/3/21 1,963

139.72 122.71

123.26

137.58

135.01

160.39

123.68

143.57

126.27

157.44

142.90

162.27

135.22

168.91 165.97 * 146.47 142.69

152.42

164.19 125 150 175 200 225 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale - Weather

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

129.77 125.70

132.15

152.12

100

141.92 122.02

121.71

148.49 172.48

140.00-175.00 133.00-155.00 120.00-141.00 116.00-131.00 103.00-128.00

***

157.59

Uneven

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

***

155.26

Uneven

--------154.00-159.00 ---------

133.94

***

875.00-1475.00 *

-----

153.00-184.00 135.00-145.00 123.00-140.00 119.00 -----

130.45

142.33

3/1/21 218

----177.00-188.00 161.00-162.00 135.00-147.00 -----

** ***

900.00-975.00 †

182.00-197.00 154.00-178.00 145.00-160.00 125.00-143.00 119.00-131.00

*** *

**

***

Welch Stockyards*

189.00-200.00 173.00-196.00 157.00-183.00 140.00-165.00 129.50-144.00

132.56 121.51

***

***

None Reported † 1000.00-1375.00 †

Tulsa Livestock Auction✝ 3/1/21 3,311

172.00-193.00 153.00-159.00 ----129.00 118.00-126.00

Week of 2/7/21

139.00

1275.00 †

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 3/3/21 915

189.00-192.00 156.00-170.00 134.00-160.00 128.00-135.00 121.00

***

None Reported * None Reported †

Ozarks Regional West Plains✝ 3/2/21 4,150

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

155.51

None Reported † None Reported †

Ouachita Livestock Ola✝ 3/2/21 129

194.00-210.00 175.00-205.00 155.50-187.00 125.00-166.50 125.50-145.75

132.70 ***

157.98

OKC West - El Reno, Okla.✝ 3/2/21 13,733

185.00-226.00 170.00-191.00 154.00-182.00 142.00-162.00 130.00-148.00

** **

156.40

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest✝ 3/3/21 3,587

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

**

*

675.00-1400.00 †

1250

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

**

2100

Jan. 21 Feb. 21

heifers 550-600 LBS.

151.57

None Reported †

750

Oct. 20 Nov. 20 Dec. 20

***

1425.00 * 1125.00-1425.00 * 725.00-1700.00 †

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

5.56

July 20 Aug. 20 Sept. 20

Week of 2/14/21

Soft Wheat

pairs

1600

Apr. 20 May 20 June 20

950.00 †

Daily Report 3/9/21

18

190.00-215.00 175.00-205.00 159.00-187.00 140.50-156.00 134.00-140.25

1100

Mar. 20

(Week of 2/28/21 to 3/6/21)

avg. grain prices

6

172.50-207.50 152.50-184.00 140.00-170.00 130.00-148.00 117.00-138.00

600

cow/calf

24

1: 370.00. : 1: 350.00-450.00.

2: 325.00-392.50.

Selection 1-2: 170.00-235.00.

Selection 1-2: 237.50-255.00.

-196.00 -187.50 -182.50 -160.00 -138.00

100

$80

Week of 2/21/21

3/5/21

Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.5075 and 40# blocks at $1.7325. The weekly average for barrels is $1.4465 (+0.0375) and blocks, $1.6655 (+0.0640).

Fluid Milk/Cream: Milk output in the East is strong, with Florida reaching its peak. Industry contacts report an earlier than usual spring flush in California, with milk production slighter higher than this time a year ago.

Bottling operations are active nationwide to keep up with demands. Some plant managers are still navigating the impact of the winter storms last month. Cream availability ranges from stable to plentiful nationwide. Eastern manufacturers exerted a healthy pull on the cream market for seasonal supplies. In the West, butter churns and ice cream manufacturers are actively processing cream. In the East, condensed skim supplies were heavy, but spot loads were limited this week in the West. F.O.B. cream multiples are 1.1500-1.2600 in the East, 1.1400-1.2400 in the Midwest, and 1.0000-1.2100 in the West.

SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM: $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT, F.O.B., producing plants, Midwestern U.S. - 1.7832 - 1.8426.

Soybeans

$120

575.00-1125.00 †

Ash Flat Livestock None Reported † Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs None Reported † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1000.00 * Cleburne County Livestock 500.00-600.00 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff None Reported † Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita None Reported * Farmers Regional Sale Barn - Springdale None Reported * Fort Smith Stockyards None Reported * Four State Stockyards - Exeter 980.00-1500.00 * I-40 Livestock - Ozark 300.00-1200.00 † Joplin Regional Stockyards 575.00-1475.00 † Mid-State Stockyards 650.00-1200.00 * North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest None Reported † 725.00-1275.00 † OKC West - El Reno 52.00-63.50 † Prices reported per cwt Ouachita Livestock Auction - Ola Ozarks Regional Stockyards 350.00-1350.00 † Stilwell Livestock Auction 725.00-1400.00 * Tulsa Livestock Auction 650.00-1035.00 † Welch Stockyards 610.00-1260.00 *

Week of 2/28/21

rowd was on hand for the Buffalo et Sheep and Goat sale. Compared to ghter lambs traded up to 9.00 higher. of slaughter goats traded up to 50.00 ugh supply of other classes for a comparilight with very good demand and active included: 85% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs ds, 21% Hair Ewes, 1% Hair Bucks); t Sheep/Lambs (100% Families); 1% 00% Kids); 12% Slaughter Goats (83% nies/Does, 4% Bucks/Billies). /Lambs: hoice and Prime 1-3: 280.00-370.00. hoice 1-3: 280.00-330.00. ood 1-2: 247.50. od 2-3: 140.00-255.00. lity and Good 1-3: 100.00-120.00. ll and Utility 1-2: 70.00-90.00.

2: 117.50-122.50. eep/Lambs: and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb:

National Dairy Market at a Glance

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy

$160

Prices reported per per cwtcwt Prices reported

Week of 2/7/21

2/23/21

dairy sales

cows

(Week of 2/28/21 to 3/6/21)

Week of 2/14/21

lo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat

replacement

$200

Week of 2/21/21

: 1: 330.00-465.00.

2: 275.00-385.00.

Selection 1-2: 120.00-195.00.

Selection 1-2: 130.00-230.00. oats: Selection 1-2: 160.00-380.00. ion 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid: 150.00-255.00.

Selection 1-2: 330.00-390.00.

550-600 lb. steers

12 Month Avg. -

$240

Week of 2/28/21

les reports

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

135.09 80

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

meet your neighbors

Building a Future at Heritage Acres

By Terry Ropp

Couple says they were always drawn to farming Californaians Jim Isbell and of livestock, including cattle, pigs, goats and Karen Spinner moved to Fayette- sheep. Because the goal was to use machinery ville, Ark., in 2012 while retaining as little as possible, chicken and cattle proved their California jobs. The couple to be the most doable.

“I never expected to become as passionhas two children, daughter Molly, who is 8, and son Hunter, who is ate about chickens as I am,” Jim explained.

6. Jim is an implementation manager for a “Arkansas is a rural state which means telecommunications company, while Karen chickens are allowed in many towns as develops marketing plans for large corpora- long as no roosters are around to disturb tions, but there was always a draw to farming. neighbors. Our customer base is made up “Part of my education is in history and I of people who want to know where their have this romanticized view of owning a food comes from and to raise chickens as farm, similar to those hundred years ago,” part of that process with some being rural Jim said. “I want the lifestyle as much as and some more urban.”

The farm has and continues to experiment sustainability and being morally responsiwith different heritage species. Swedish Flowble in my methods.”

Jim never lived on a farm, though his moth- er hens are their current dominant breed er Eve and stepfather Gary had a few chick- because they are hardy and popular with customers. Currently, ens. Karen had no Heritage Acres supbackground in agports 30 to 40 hens riculture, but was and 10 roosters. as captured by the The chickens are same idea as Jim. raised in “chicken When they betractors,” movable gan their search, enclosures that rethey thought perquire no machinhaps 5 to 10 acres ery. The enclosures would be enough are 8-feet-by-4-feet, but soon realized with six birds per they needed more tractor. Each has land to fulfill the a four-way nesting vision. Eve, a rebox with protecaltor, became aggressive in searching and found a location tion from rain and sun provided by corrugatof two connected properties with an old ed sheeting. Jim puts a little feed on one of home built in the 1930s. She took them the 4-foot sides and pulls the enclosure daiby truck through many trails developed ly, thereby exposing the feed. The chickens by the previous owners. When Karen saw stay and eat and are at the other side of the the wonderful trails, she knew this was the enclosure when Jim manually pulls it exactly one enclosure width. The chickens are not place and jogs the trails every day.

The land has a few strips of black dirt, but it allowed to brood, and the eggs are harvested is mostly a sandy loam with just enough soil to daily and put into an incubator.

Jim has another 10 of the enproduce quality grass. Through closures with other breeds he the years of ownership, they is experimenting with. A curhave slowly worked to rehab the Fayetteville, Ark. rent project is the challenge of land, which includes fertilizing producing a barred Silverudd’s and getting rid of stubborn plants Blue by crossing it with a barred like blackberries. They have exbreed in order to produce an autoperimented raising many differsex chicken, one where males and ent breeds of chickens and kinds

16

Submitted Photos

Jim Isbell was always drawn to the farming way of life, even though he didn’t grow up on a farm. Today, he and his family have multiple livestock operations.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

meet your neighbors females have different coloration patterns.

So far, Jim has been able to produce a blue barred bird, but the bar is muted and very difficult to see. One advantage is that the cross is consistent and has hybrid vigor.

Right now, the cross is an F1, and the many in-town residents who want chickens want hens because of noise ordinances.

Another of the couple’s interests are heritage Chocolate turkeys. They purchased their starters from Jake Jersey in Hindsville, who maintains a wide variety of heritage breeds. They have eight to 10 breeding hens and four toms. They are also in enclosures, but these are larger and stationary, with hay used as bedding after October so the soil is naturally improved by the turkeys. Nearby walnut trees draw the Japanese beetles, caterpillars and June bugs, tidbits the birds aggressively scratch through the hay to find.

Heritage Acres’ marketing strategy ties nicely with their philosophical dedication to using gentle and moral environmental use as much as possible. While they sell a few chicken eggs and no turkey eggs, they prefer to control the hatching themselves so customers receive live animals rather than taking a chance that some eggs won’t hatch. Their preference for both chickens and turkeys is to sell hens rather than hatchlings, pullets or poults because the birds will have gone through at least two different seasons and produced eggs, which means those birds are hardy and dependable. Their website specifies pricing for different aged birds.

Jim’s image of the 100-year-old farm is reinforced by a herd of 15 to 20 naturally horned Piney Wood cows bought from Jeff Brown in Mississippi. They have five or six bulls not used for breeding but raised for processing. Unfortunately, coronavirus slowed everything down and will sort itself out eventually with the backup being finding processing. Jim is highly appreciative

of B & R Processing in Winslow and uses them for the Piney Woods and for a few pigs they raise for personal use.

“Every farmer has to make compromises in what he would prefer to do as opposed to what is most essential from a practical standpoint because we do have a world to feed and have not yet developed a technology to avoid using fossil fuels,” Jim said. “Conse-

quently, I do occasionally use a tractor but as little as possible and never use antibiotics.”

While Heritage Acres is a business, it is more importantly a lifestyle choice.

Watching his children hearing the incubated chicks on their front porch through the door and eagerly awaiting to hold the small birds makes everything worthwhile for both he and Karen.

Cattlemen’s C hoice ction La rgest seles Sons u g n of Sim A la r sires! yet by popua lue at A Rea l V rices!

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“As young as our children are, I can already see how this lifestyle has affected them,” Jim asserted. “They understand far better than most children their age the concepts of life and death, the value of each life and the responsibility of treating each life gently.”

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Marple Simmentals David Marple 20389 2000 Rd. Buffalo, KS 66717 620-431-6414 620-431-8449 cell

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Sale Consultants: Warren Garrett 903-848-8605 office 903-316-2889 cell

Auctioneer: Mike Williams 660-584-5210

17

Free Portable Corral Use for Customers • Hauling Available • Covered Pens

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Sale: Tues., 12 p.m.

Owners: Chris Buffer 479-531-2962 Shawn Sperry 479-957-1387

479-752-8499 • Hwy. 59 South • Decatur, AR FINANCING AVAILABLE

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meet your neighbors

A Little Bit of Everything

By Jordan Robertson

Young couple builds their farm in a permaculture manner Jed and Sarah Bicker, originally from West Little Rock, Ark., had farming dreams that were stifled by their meager 2 acres in Ferndale, Ark. This led the family to explore land options that would ripen their future in agriculture. After nine months, the duo purchased 27 acres in Hattieville, Ark., with intentions to raise chickens, turkeys and even grow an orchard.

by having 220 head of cattle. Beginning at the age of 14, Jed found himself running the day-to-day operations for his parents’ farm, which resulted in his decision to acquire an agriculture management degree from Arkansas State.

Today, Jed, Sarah and their 2-year-old, daughter Elenor have their hands full with hundreds of different birds.

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18

“We raise about 480 broiler chickens per “We started Hattieville Valley back in August,” Jed said. “I had grown up coming month through the spring, summer and fall,” to the Hattieville area in the summer for Jed mentioned. “That number reduces to about 220 in the winter. We also church camp, and my wife went have Cornish Cross and Freedom to college at Arkansas Tech. We Ranger chickens. We raise them felt comfortable moving our famHattieville, Ark. in 6-by-10 mobile tractors, and ily to the area.” they are moved daily.”

The farming life has always been Jed points out that this process alpresent in Jed’s life. His parents lows them to give the chickens a new farmed 115 cattle and hogs, while salad bar of grass every day, along with his grandparents exceeded that

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

meet your neighbors

Are You Tired...

of Buying Bulls that Fall Apart?

We specialize in Thick, Easy-Fleshing Bulls that are Developed on Grass

Because of the way our bulls have been bred and developed, they can breed twice as many cows for twice as many years as bulls coming out of most programs. the feed rations that the couple gets mixed just for their farm at Livestock Nutrition Center in Atkins, Ark. “Our farm is considered a regenerative permaculture farm, which means that we try to raise animals in a way that adds to the ecosystem,” Jed said. “We move animals in a way that mimics nature, and this allows left over pathogens to be devoured by our animals, which lowers food waste and makes for much cleaner food.”

Jed and Sarah strive to keep their farm and environmentally friendly as possible, which in turn makes for exceptional product.

“Fertilizer or pesticides are not used at our farm,” Jed stated. “Moving the chickens keeps pathogens down and gives our grass an amazing jolt of natural fertilizer. The use of grass and non-hormone, no antibiotic foods also makes the chicken incredibly nutrient dense and full of flavor. This movement also builds soil and helps to ensure that our farm stay carbon negative.”

The Bicker’s farming abode is also full of egg layers that come from a variety of Plymouth Rock chickens. These chickens are very hearty, and according to Jed, they strive in this area. However, Sarah likes to add a dash of color to the cartons by mixing in Cream Legbars and Green Queens.

The Bicker family does not stop at chickens. The couple also have 10 Chinese geese, 25 laying ducks and 250 turkeys.

“We used the Chinese geese for border predator control,” Jed said. “The turkeys are MARCH 15, 2021

going to be for Thanksgiving, though. We plan to have pre-orders up for them.”

Jed also plans to expand into the pork enterprise with Hereford pigs in the forest on non-GMO feed.

Social media is another huge aspect of Hattieville Valley. Every week, Jed posts a new recipe in hopes to teach the community how to cook and prepare chicken. Many of the meals he whips up are frozen and ready to be bought by hungry customers.

“We have been blessed to have an inspected kitchen provided to us by Camp Peniel, a local church camp in the Hattieville area, and it has allowed us to expand into the prepared food sector,” Jed stated. “So far, we have had great feedback. Families love being able to pull a homemade, local meal out of their freezer after a long day.”

Hattieville Valley has caused a positive ripple within the community of Hattieville, Ark. The Bicker’s are bringing a fresh and high spirit to all those who enjoy cooking and farming. While the farm is still growing, it is safe to say that there is no telling what the family will put their hands into next.

“We sleep soundly knowing we do all we can to give our animals a healthy and happy life while they are with us,” Jed said. “Building this farm has been one of the most challenging, but fun things I have ever gotten to do. I can not wait to see where it takes us.”

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youth in

agriculture tomorrow’s ag leaders

Chloe and Blaine Silka

By Kathy Parker

Hometown: Locust Grove, Ark. Parents: Jon and Jessica Silka FFA Chapter: Locust Grove FFA Advisors: Ethan Propp and Ray Pell Class: Chloe is a freshman and Blaine is a junior in high school What show awards have you won?

The voice of the

Ozarks

Blaine: “Market Goat Division Champion at Tulsa State Fair, Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Owned Heifer at Mayes County Fair, top five showman at the American Royal.”

Chloe: “Reserve Grand Champion Wether Arkansas/Oklahoma State Fair, Reserve Grand Market Goat Showman at Tulsa State Fair, Reserve Intermediate showman at Tulsa State Fair, Reserve Division Champion Breeding Doe at Tulsa State Fair, top five showman at the American Royal.”

Do you compete on judging teams?

Chole: “We both judge livestock.”

Blaine: “I was on the state-winning livestock judging team in 2019.”

Do you live on a farm or ranch? What are your jobs?

Chloe: “We live on a ranch where we feed, work and move cows, along with hauling and feeding hay. We have a cow/calf operation at home, where we sell the steer calves at weaning and keep the heifers as replacements. In the past, we have bought our show animals, but we are starting to raise them.”

Who has influenced your involvement in agriculture?

Chloe: “For me, many people have influenced my involvement in agriculture, but if I had to choose, it would be my brother and my dad. My brother always gives me the most motivation because I hate losing – especially to him. We’re both very competitive. My dad and I have always been close. We’re a lot alike, so he always keeps me going.”

Blaine: “To me, the most influential people would have to be my dad or my dad’s best friend, Mike Booth. They have made a huge impact on me.”

Do your future goals and plans include agriculture?

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20

Chloe: “I plan to continue my livestock judging career in college. After that, I would like to attend vet school at Oklahoma State. Neither of us are sure where our college judging career will start, but we both want to end up at OSU. Blaine: “I plan to continue my livestock judging career in college, and hope to eventually become an ag teacher, as well as raising show cattle.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

ag-visors

Advice from

the professionals

Money Management

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FORT SMITH STOCKYARDS

There is no right or wrong way to give your kids an allowance. Some households give allowance for completing a task or earning a certain grade while others will give an amount and expect nothing in return.

One factor you might want to consider is teaching your kids the save, give and spend approach to managing money. With this exercise, your kids will have to save and give away a certain percentage, and the rest of their money they can keep and spend as they like.

We all look forward to payday so be sure to add some consistency to your system so your kids will know which day to expect their allowance. This way, they can start to budget and track expenses just like you do.

Making financial decisions

As an adult, you make money decisions every day – some as simple as packing your lunch vs. eating out and others more complicated like saving or investing your funds. Allowing your kids to make their own financial decisions can teach them a valuable lesson about how far money can stretch and how they want to use their money. One week they might decide to save for a large purchase or another they might decide to spend everything they earn on a new toy.

You might also consider setting up a checking and savings account for your children so you can teach them how to use online banking tools and baking apps. The earlier your children learn how to use these tools, the easier it will be for them when they leave the nest for college or start living on their own as a young adult.

T SMIT OR

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Abby Wendel is the president consumer banking at UMB Bank

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Every family is different. There is no right or wrong amount you could give your child, but whatever you decide to give should be built into your own monthly budget. Consider how much money you can spare every week and your comfort level with allowing your kids to manage a certain amount of money on their own. You might also consider changing the amount depending on whether a task is completed or if your child is old enough to have their own part-time job like babysitting or working at a local store.

Deciding to start an allowance system for your family should be a personal and fun decision.

Through this simple gesture, you can teach your child several valuable lessons about money management.

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eaching children how to manage money is no easy task. It takes years of practice and discipline to fully understand the difference between a want and a need and how to save while still enjoying your life.

Many transactions are made online, through contact-less payment, with a credit card or through an app.

The exchange of physical currency isn’t always our “go to” method for payment, meaning children might not fully understand that money isn’t always a click away.

Offering an allowance is one way to provide necessary skills that will help young ones understand money management and even how to use a basic savings account. These skills can help a great deal in the long-term, especially as children grow up and begin budgeting on their own.

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21

farm

help

Making farming

a little easier

Frostbite Recovery

By Julie Turner-Crawford

Feburary’s bitter weather many have caused some animals to have tissue damage February’s polar vortex was a nightmare for many livestock producers in the Ozarks.

During cold events, animals can suffer from frostbite, which is damage to body tissues that occurs when the tissues freeze. Newborn calves are most at risk because they are wet and have a large surface area in relation to their total body mass. Calves can not maintain temperature the first several hours of life, and their circulatory system is less able to respond to cold changes than more mature animals, resulting in frostbite.

“You’ll probably see a lot of calves in a few weeks that were born in the coldest weather that have already lost, or show signs they’ll lose, the tips of their ears and possibly their tails; mostly the tips of both extremities are affected,” University of Missouri Livestock Field Specialist Eldon Cole said.

Frozen ears and tails result in changes in cattle appearance, but cattle performance significantly.

Initial signs of frostbite include a cold stiffness to the tips of these body parts. As the days go on, the affected parts become hard and leathery before they separate from the healthy tissue and simply fall off.

Frostbite can also affect the hooves of animals. Cole said producers in the Ozarks generally not encounter many issues with frostbitten hooves, but the February blast brought subzero temperatures and windchills that dipped below negative 20, so there may be a few cases. If the feet are involved, the animal is very reluctant to rise but appears otherwise healthy with a normal appetite.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for frostbite in hooves, and the best solution is to euthanize the animal.

Cole added that not all cases of cattle with sore feet are caused by frostbite.

“In toxic fescue country, like we have around here, we can expect to see some fescue foot show up in adult animals. Owners need to watch for lameness in the rear hoof-leg region,” Cole said. “They will be slow-moving, can be swelling in the lower leg, and in

what do you say?

What is a bio-security measure you practice on your farm?

22

“In addition to having a strong vaccination protocol, we want our herd as closed as possible. We retain heifers, sometimes raise our own bulls, trade within the family and only purchase virgin and tested bulls.”

Eddie Roberts Adair County, Okla.

advanced cases, there will be a break in the skin, usually around the top of hoof and the dewclaws. Of course, the real culprit is the toxin ergovaline, which reduces blood circulation to the extremities. The toxin possibly could have been ingested several weeks before the cold snap in pasture or hay.”

Fescue foot doesn’t show up in all animals, usually about 10 to 25 percent. It will also result in lost tail switches in the next couple of months.

“I’m sure frostbite is painful, especially if it’s connected to fescue foot,” Cole said. “Cattle can lose a hoof or two also, and once the skin break occurs, they are beyond recovery.”

Mature animals can also suffer from frostbite during brutal winter conditions.

“Occasionally teats of a recently calved cow freeze, resulting in mastitis and frequently loss of milk production in at least one-quarter of the udder,” Cole said. “Adult animals may experience scrotal or teat frostbite. Once again, the degree of injury will vary on how protected they are from the wind, wet and muddy bedding areas. I see some scrotal scabs on the bottom of the scrotum after most winters, but our extremes this year will likely worsen that. Unless they are extreme, many of those bulls won’t be affected as far as their bull breeding soundness (BSE) exams are concerned The more extreme BSE-freeze-related concerns may be seen in Brahman and Brahman crosses. Those problems will not affect just the scrotum but can damage the prepuce and penile area.”

According to information from the University of South Dakota, spermatogenesis (creation of sperm) in a bull is 61 days. Anything that affects sperm production will take 61 days to totally clear the system, to have normal cells and healthy sperm again after the bull recovers. It may take several months for full recovery, and a few bulls remain permanently infertile.

Spring is on the way to the Ozarks, but producers should use February 2021 as a lesson in how to prepare for future cold-weather calving.

“We don’t allow people around the farm or the cattle. We also quarantine new cattle until we are certain they are healthy.”

— Continued on Next Page

“The easiest way for us to handle the situation is allowing no outside visitors. Each of us also has town shoes and farm shoes so we don’t accidentally track anything in.”

Katie Swofford Carroll County, Ark.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Jim Isbell Washington County, Ark.

“We have a commercial herd but nonetheless keep it mostly closed. However, I don’t retain heifers and purchase second-calf cows when I need replacements. New animals are quarantined until we’re sure they’re healthy.”

Bill Sossamon Franklin County, Ark

MARCH 15, 2021

farm help Frostbite Recovery

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Continued from Previous Page “If they’re not brought into a warm area immediately after birth and off and warmed up, there’s not much you can do to prevent the freezing,” Cole said. “There are calf warming boxes some farmers use, but most probably stick them in the truck cab or take them to the house for a while. Of course, getting them dry is just a start. They also need to nurse ASAP to get their insides warmed up with colostrum.”

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MARCH 15, 2021

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Frostbite treatment Areas suffering from frostbite should be warmed up quickly. Frostbite is the actual destruction of tissue. To prevent permanent damage, affected areas need to be restored with circulation as soon as possible. Again, the heat source should be about 105 to 108 degrees. Do not rub affected areas. They are already damaged and quite fragile. As the area warms up, it will be painful. Do not let the animal rub these areas, it will only make the situation worse. In severe cases, analgesics (pain killers) may be indicated. Consult your veterinarian.

Frostbite in teats and scrotums deserve special mention. Frostbitten teats may be difficult to detect. The first sign may be a thin calf. The actual teat end is affected and can slough. If this happens, the sphincter muscle of the teat may be lost. This makes mastitis a possibility. Also, an affected teat may cause that quarter to dry up since the cow won’t let the calf nurse. In addition, the frostbitten teat may go unnoticed until next year. At that time the calf is thin, and when the cow is examined, the actual teat is healed over with scar tissue. This teat will need to be opened.

Scrotums and testicles of bulls can suffer frostbite. Often these lesions go unnoticed.

These lesions can cause transitory or permanent infertility. All herd bulls should have breeding soundness exams 45-60 days after the last severe cold spell. Your veterinarian can help you with these exams.

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23

farm help

Resources for First-Generation Farmers

By Anna Mathis

New producers have options for financing With the average age of the U.S. generation that could change the world.”

Types of loans and grants

farmer nearing 60 years old, the agriculture industry needs new and first-generation farmers to continue crop and livestock production. Loans, grants and resources are available to support new producers.

Stepping into the agriculture industry as a new or first-generation farmer can be daunting many reasons, such as having limited knowledge or lack of resources and land, especially if farming does not run in the family.

Tips and tricks from a first-generation farmer

In addition to financial resources, there are communities of people who are willing to share their tips of the trade to aid in industry success. First generation farmer Jennifer Barber Cook of Wooster, Ark., provided her biggest piece of advice for new farmers starting out.

“Stick with the lifestyle. Require your kids to stick with it – that’s the biggest blessing of all. We could’ve jumped ship when things got hard, because there were so many times when you get discouraged and defeated,” Cook said. “But remember the good stuff: the cattle or crop you’re raising, sure. But the people, too. The next

24

Along with tenacity another key to starting an operation is learning and understanding what you are doing.

“Knowledge is power,” Cook said.

She remembers relying on the Cooperative Extension Service by studying every document about beef and crop management. She also subscribed to magazines, read podcasts and did anything to gain information.

“You can never stop learning,” Cook said.

“Just when you think you have it all figured out, something changes, and you have to reevaluate.”

This leads to another foundational aspect of starting an operation: learn from others.

“Find people that do what you’re interested in, and that do it well,” Cook said.

Cook and her family also got involved in their local Cattleman’s Association. There are multiple groups and communities to join that assist young farmers and ranchers. County Farm Bureau groups, Cattleman’s Associations, Young Farmers and Ranchers or Beginning Farmers are great places to start.

She said when she needs help, she will opt out of the giant textbook and call someone who is in her network or that she has shared a meal with and ask them their opinion.

One of the largest barriers to farming, especially at the beginning, is finances. Land and equipment are a big investment, but there are multiple grants and loans available to ease these costs.

Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Farm Service Agency (FSA), producers can apply for Direct Operating Loans, Microloans, Direct Farm Ownership loans and Native American Tribal Loans.

To access this funding the producer must have three years of relevant farm experience, though this can be obtained many ways. Follow up with a representative from the FSA to check a personal status.

Direct Operating Loans can be used to buy livestock, farm equipment, fuel, insurance and farm-operating expenses.

Microloans are used by small and beginning farmers that specialize in niche operations and comes with less restrictions and paperwork.

Direct Farm Ownership Loans are used to buy land and ranches. Native American Tribal Loans are reserved for Native Americans to preserve cultural farmland.

The FSA is especially committed to producers in their first 10 years of operation through “Beginning Farmer” direct and guaranteed loan programs.

Farm Ownership loans can provide ac-

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

cess to land and capital, and operating loans can help beginning farmers become competitive by helping with normal operating expenses, offer new markets, assist with diversifying operations and more.

Along with the USDA, Farm Credit also has billions of dollars to give in loans, as well. Farm Credit offers different loans such as real estate loans, facility loans, leases, intermediate-term loans and AgDirect Equipment financing.

In addition to their loans, Farm Credit offers digital tools such as AgriPoint, Remote Deposit and FCSAmerica Mobile.

Specific details about each program and resource can be accessed online or farmers can connect with their local office.

Aside from loans, grants are a great way to get started without having to pay money back. There are specialty crop grants for products that include fruits, vegetables, horticulture and other crops through the Agricultural Marketing Service.

There is also financial assistance for landowners working to “conserve agricultural lands, wetlands, grasslands and forestlands,” according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information, go to go.ozarksfn. com/hvk.

MARCH 15, 2021

farm help

Are You Prepared for Chicks?

By Julie Turner-Crawford

Raising poultry requires time and space As spring arrives, many people get a little “chick fever.”

However, those new chicks will fail to thrive and will not be productive members of the farming operation without proper care.

Scharidi Barber, a poultry science instructor at the University of Arkansas, said many people, especially first-time chick growers, don’t know how to care for chicks properly.

“They don’t realize the time it takes,” she said. “They don’t have that brooder setting for the young chicks, which needs to be kept at about 100 degrees for that first week of life and dropped five degrees every week after that. They also don’t realize how much space they will need as they grow. It’s funny how so many people want to have egg layers, but there is so much to know to raise poultry; it’s not simple.”

Brooding chicks require about one-half square foot of space until they reach 4 weeks of age. During typical weather, infrared heat lamps placed 1 to 1.5 feet above the chicks will usually provide enough heat to start. Chicks need enough space under the brooder so they can keep warm without crowding, piling up or smothering. Adequate water and food must also be available for the young birds.

Chicks can be moved from the brooder phase at about 4 to 5 weeks, depending on feather development. However, proper housing is critical for poultry production throughout a bird’s lifetime.

According to the University of Missouri Extension, poultry housing should provide clean, dry, comfortable quarters for birds throughout the year, be free from drafts, but allow for air movement. Litter, such as pine shavings, rice hulls, peanut shells and ground corn cobs, are absorbent materials that reduce the moisture and serves as an insulating material in cold weather. The litter should be clean, mold-free and dry, but not dusty.

Not only does proper housing protect birds from the elements, but it also protects them from predators.

“People will go to the farm store and get a prefab chicken coop or house and expect that will protect the birds,” Barber said. “Unfortunately, it’s not. A raccoon can get in just about anything, and opossums will also attack poultry. Of course, you also have neighbor’s dog, coyotes, foxes and other things that will attack a coop, especially if there’s nothing around the bottom of the coop. Some predators will dig right into a coop, so you have to have a way to secure that area.”

Chickens need to have 2 to 3 square feet of space in a coop.

“The biggest thing is to have that space and not have overcrowding because birds are cannibalistic, and birds will get aggressive if they don’t have the space they need. You have to prepare for birds as they become adults, not just baby chicks.”

She added that outdoor spaces also require predator protection.

Attacks can also come from other birds, such as eagles and hawks.

Barber recommended using netting or obscuring the view from above to protect from an aerial attack.

“The best thing is chicken tractors,” she said. “The birds stay within the tractor and your move them around. You can move them to different areas, and they are protected.”

MARCH 15, 2021

Barber said there are options for rectangular, portable chicken tractors that also offer an elevated coop area. The structure provides safety from predators and allows the birds to have a run.

Like other animals, poultry require preventative health measures.

“Most of the birds you get from the hatchery are vaccinated against Marek’s (a type of herpes viral disease), and sometimes for other things. Typically, most people with backyard flocks don’t do any other vaccinations, and if they do, it’s for fowl pox (a viral infection). You usually have to vaccinate for fowl pox when they are very young, depending on the vaccine brand. When chickens reach maturity, we recommend deworming every six months. Your local feed stores usually have something you can use to deworm with.”

As chickens reach maturity, their nutritional needs change.

“Chicks need to be on a chick starter, and that goes for game birds and turkeys,” Barber explained. “I encourage people to leave their chicks on starter a little longer than others. If you feed a high-protein diet longer, it will help that bird reach sexual maturity faster.

We are seeing birds start laying at 16, 17 weeks, where naturally start at 25, 26 weeks. After the starter, you can go to a grower, which is a step back in protein, but still higher than a layer crumble. You can start feeding the layer at about 26 weeks.”

Without proper nutrition, egg production can be delayed, and meat birds will not gain weight.

Barber said waterfowl (ducks and geese) are not a good mix with chicks.

“They are carriers of diseases that will affect a chick,” she said.

“It is often discouraged to raise them together. Their diets are also a little different. A waterfowl, turkey and even game birds need a higher protein feed than chickens. A larger animal, like a turkey, a goose or a duck, also takes up a lot more space, so you have to consider that. Waterfowl also need water they can get into, or they are constantly going to be looking for it.

“If you put a waterer in a pin with 2-week-old ducklings, you will have a mess,” Barber added with a laugh. “They are going to be trying to get in that water.”

Barber cautioned against buying young chicks and waterfowl on an impulse.

“In the state of Arkansas, you have to get a minimum of six,” she said. “Normally, people will think twice because they have to get six because they start to think what are they going to do with six.”

Single chicks also have difficulty keeping warm because they have no “buddies,” and chickens are also considered highly-social birds.

Barber also discouraged purchasing chicks or ducklings for children as Easter gifts unless parents are prepared to rear the birds to maturity, She also recommeded that all chicks and fowl be purchased from a National Poultry Improvement Plan-certified seller.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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enroll visit go.ozarksfn.com/db0 – for questions call 405-744-4357 • Beekeeping Basics Podcasts – contact Benton County Extension Office for

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ozarks’

auction block

MARCH 2021 20 Aschermann Charolais 32nd Edition Production 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 Cattlemen’s Choice Bull and Female Sale – Fredonia Livestock Market, Fredonia,

KS – 620-437-2211 – 903-848-8605 – 903-316-2889 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 Maplewood Acres Farm 34th Annual Bull & Female Sale – at the Farm, Sedalia,

Mo. – 660-287-1341 or 660-620-4678 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 2

3

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2021 Ade Polled Herefords Annual Bull & Female Sale – at the Farm, Amsterdam, Mo. – 765-583-4875 The Andras Kind Red Angus Bull Sale – at the Farm, Manchester, Ill – 217-473-2355 – 217-473-2320 B/F Cattle Company – Butler, Mo. – 660-492-2808 Circle S Gelbvieh Ranch 14th Annual “Going to Grass” Production Sale – Canton, Kan. – 620-628-4621 Four State Angus Association 91st Edition Consignment Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 734-260-8635

• Understanding Food Labeling Regulations – Self-Paced Course, Time Limit:

90 days – Cost: $600 – to enroll visit go.ozarksfn.com/hv1 – for questions call 405-744-4357 MARCH 2021 18 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – White County Extension Office, Searcy,

Ark. – 501-268-5394 18 Cattlemen’s Forage College – 6 p.m., Online via Zoom – No fee to attend – to

register call 405-527-2174 or 405-321-4774 26-28 5th Annual Ozark Spring Roundup – Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,

Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, Mo. – 620-423-2355

or lance@ozarkempirefair.com APRIL 4-24

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2021 Bull Clinic – Cost: $45 with products supplied by Elanco and A.H.I. – Country Veterinary Service, Farmington, Ark. – 479-267-2685 Cattlemen’s Forage College – Pasture Weed Control/Putting up High Quality Hay – 6 p.m., Online via Zoom – No Fee to attend – to register call 405-527-2174 or 405-321-4774

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 5 Brockmere Farms Inc. Annual Performance-Tested Angus Bull Sale – New

Cambria Livestock Auction, New Cambria, Mo. – 660-258-2901 or 660-375-2155 6 Hubert Charolais Ranch 42nd Annual Bull Sale – Oakley, Kan. – 785-672-2540 8 Pharo Cattle Company Production Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 800-311-0995 10 Ozark & Heart of America Beefmaster Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing

Center, Springfield, Mo. – 210-648-5475 10 The Renaissance Sale XXIX – Chappell’s Sales Arena, Strafford, Mo. – 405-246-6324 11 OSU Cowboy Classic – Stillwater, Okla. – 405-464-2455 17 2021 Leachman Ozark Spring Sale – I-40 Livestock, Ozark, Ark. – 970-568-3983 17 Missouri Charolais Breeders Association Spring Bull & Female Sale –

Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 281-761-5952 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 10th Anniversary Heartland Highland Cattle Auction – Mid-Missouri Stockyard,

Lebanon, Mo. – 417-733-3201 or 309-251-5832 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 30 Express Ranches Grasstime Sale – Yukon, Okla. – 405-464-2455 MAY 2021 7 Next Generation Sale of 2021 Glendenning’s J Bar J Annual Production Sale – Lebanon, Mo. – 402-350-3447 21 Show-Me Select Replacement Heifer Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards,

Carthage, Mo. – 417-466-3102 22 The Great American Pie Sale – Lebanon, Mo. – 402-350-3447 22 Spur Ranch Female Sale – Vinita, Okla. – 918-256-5850 or 918-244-2118

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 15, 2021

Farm Equipment

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory

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8TH ANNUAL HIGHLAND CATTLE AUCTION

Mid Missouri Stockyard, Lebanon, MO in conjunction K& Exotic Auction Saturday,with April 27,L2019 2pm $5 Stockyard, Admission Mid Missouri Lebanon, MO

• Stories About Your Friends & Neighbors • Market Reports • Free Annual Farm Hand Ag Resource Directory • Stories About Farm Finance, Ag Law & Animal Health • Special Issues Throughout the Year • Latest Deals From The Companies You Do Business With • Classified & Display Ads • Great Writers Like Jerry Crownover • Recipes & Annual Cookbook

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Heartland Highland Cattle Assoc. & Registry 976 State Hwy 64, Tunas, MO 65764 417-345-0575 • 417-733-3201 • 417-733-3201 309-251-5832 www.highlandauction.com heartlandhighlandcattle@gmail.com

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WELCOME TO

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MARCH 15, 2021