Ofn dummy 3 23 15 by Eric Tietze

Transparent Turkeys MARCH 23, 2015• 32 PAGES

VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

Scott and Michelle Ramsey explain that transparency in the turkey industry has been the biggest change they’ve seen

MARCH 23, 2015

Wife, Mother and Lady Rancher

Prod uctio Poult n Sale Forag ry and , e&F Issue ields

Heather Martin strives to be the best wife, mother and farmer she can

Manage Your Fields with Fire A look at how fire can positively impact your pastures

Grass Savings with Grazing Systems Advantages and disadvantages of four common grazing systems

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

rumor mill

USDA Extends Farm Bill Deadline: Farmers now have until March 31, to update yield history and base acres under the 2014 Farm Bill, a deadline extension announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. February 27 was the original deadline for crop producers to update yields and reallocate base acres. If no changes are made to yield history or base acres by March 31, the farm’s current yield and base will be used. A program choice of Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) also must be made by March 31, or there will be no 2014 payments for the farm and the farm will default to PLC coverage through the 2018 crop year. For more information contact your local USDA Service Center. Farm Mom of the Year Contest: Monsanto is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Farm Mom of the Year contest. Nominations are being accepted until March 31. Anyone can nominate their favorite farm mom. Just visit AmericasFarmers.com during the nomination period and submit a brief essay online or by mail that explains how the nominated farm mom contributes to her family, farm, community and agriculture. Five regional winners will be announced at the end of April, and each winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize. For more information visit americanfarmers.com. Tyson Gift to Fund Ag Research Center: The Tyson Family and Tyson Foods, Inc. have made a substantial gift toward creating a first-of-its-kind agricultural research center in Arkansas. A $5 million gift from Tyson to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will significantly finance the new $16.3 million Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences. The 60,000 square-foot building will feature high-tech agriculture research laboratories that will advance plant and animal sustainability, along with water quality research. Robinson Honored: Shane Robinson, associate professor of agricultural education at Oklahoma State University, recently was recognized with the Distinguished Teaching Award at the Southern Region conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education. Poultry Grower Symposium: The Poultry Federation’s Annual Grower Symposium is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at the John Q Hammons Convention Center in Rogers, Ark., beginning at 2:00 p.m. The symposium, including the reception and trade show are free of charge for poultry growers; however reservations are requested. A number of sessions will be conducted that afternoon covering a wide range of topics. For more information contact the Poultry Federation’s office at 501-375-8131. Scan Me Or Visit ozarksfn.com OzarksFarm

@OzarksFarm

The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper

MARCH 23, 2015

7 8 12

VOL. 9, NO. 2

JUST A THOUGHT 3 Jerry Crownover – The trouble with GPS 4 Dusty Richards – Counting on good soil 5 Lynzee Glass – Saying goodbye to OFN MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 Heather Martin gives up a job in town to stay at home and farm full time

Over the last century Buster Austin has seen many changes in the Ozarks

Eye on Agribusiness features Triple S Horsemanship

Dave and Pat Sargent turn to research when selecting new species to plant

Town and Country features Ronnie Mathis

Scott Ramsey shares his 20 years of experience raising turkeys

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Logan Pate

Dan and Patricia Stewart started a farmers market in their hometown

FARM HELP 25 Renovate your pastures with controlled burns

26 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Increase egg production with these simple tips

Grazing systems to consider on your farm

Is egg production in the Ozarks changing?

MARCH 23, 2015

just a

thought

PO Box 6, Prairie Grove, AR 72753

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960

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

What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?

Sandra Coffman President

Life Is Simple

Administrative Eric Tietze, Vice-President Operations Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Sandra Coffman, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Kathy Myers, Production Sales Circulation Stan Coffman, Circulation Editorial Lynzee Glass, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Dusty Richards, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production

e f i L elpmiS si

By Jerry Crownover

n my younger days, when I was setting nwand orCaccomyrreJ yB goals for what I wantedre tovodo plish in life, I never identified landlord as one of my ambitions. Unfortunately, some Jerry Crownover is of the farms I have acquired through the a farmer and former years happen to have decent homes on them, so I professor of Agriculture started renting them in order to generate a little Education at Missouri more cash flow while, at the same time, keeping State University. He is a them from becoming in disrepair. native of Baxter County, I realize that I’ve been very fortunate in findArkansas, and an ing good, hard-working people to reside in these author and professional homes and most of them usually stay for several speaker. To contact Jerry, years. But, last month, one of the renters decided go to ozarksfn.com and to move on and it left me with a small, clean, click on ‘Contact Us.’ little house to rent, once more. I advertised it in all the usual places and received many calls and emails concerning my requirements. I emphasized to all that were interested, that my needs were few, but very strict; pay the rent on time, keep the lawn mowed neatly, absolutely no inside pets and any outside pets would not be allowed if they chase my cows. One morning, last week, I received a call from a very nice lady. She informed me that she and her husband, along with a 1-year-old baby, were relocating to this area from California. The woman had seen my ad, thought it was just what they were looking for, and the price range was right. “Would it be possible to come and look through the house today?” Even though I am still feeding hay and calving out cows I have already begun spreading fertilizer on the pastures and hay fields, so my time is at a premium right now. But, I wanted to get that house rented as soon as possible, too, so I told her I would find a few minutes right after noon, if she wanted to meet me there. She said 1:00 would work for her and if I could just give her the address, she could find it with her GPS. — Continued on Page 6

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Contributors Marcus Creasy, Gary Digiuseppe, Jack and Pam Fortner, Klaire Howerton, Kathy Kelly, Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, Terry Ropp

About the Cover The Ramsey family learns to balance poultry and cattle on their farm. Read more on page 18. Photo by Terry Ropp Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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All We Need’s More Rain By Dusty Richards

Western novelist Dusty Richards and his wife Pat live on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. To contact Dusty, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’

t’s gardening season. I’ve noticed lots of folks still grow their own garden. However, many of us are too busy; many households have two money earners, which crowds their schedules. I think the folks that had gardens as part of their upbringing still plant and harvest gardens. Folks who are successful at gardening work year round at it. When my parents moved to Arkansas back in the ‘70s my dad turn his backyard into a farm. He hauled cow manure from the local sale barn, added lime and worked hard to produce an amazing amount of food. He discovered his land got lots of water and being slightly down hill that kept him from planting as early as he liked and made the garden hard to work. So along the north side of his lot he installed a sub-drain about 18 inches deep, put in tile and gravel and with carpenter’s level ran the tile out to the curb. He was raised in Illinois where field tiles are common on farmland. The result was the water ran off the tiles and down the street until it found a storm sewer drain. While visiting my dad I could not believe the amount of water he was shedding. It was so much water the city came out to see where the water line was leaking. He explained his drain system, they laughed. He never again had the mud that would keep him out of his garden early in the season. Of course, his treatment of the ground gave him plenty of earthworms, they in turn made tunnels to let the rain soak in. His addition of ag lime was very important to this cycle. Back then several people raised earthworms for bait and I own a book on earthworms, just interested in the process. The book said keeping the bedding pH at neutral was the way to raise earthworms and the instructions said to take frequent pH tests of the bedding with litmus paper. If it shows acidity, add ag lime and retest in a week. I interviewed some folks raising worms commercially and they showed me the same thing. So if you want worms in your garden to help you, simply add ag lime and work it in until litmus paper does not show acid. Of course we have soil testing available to everyone through your county Extension or USDA Service Center. One of the fields on the farm I owned near Winslow, Ark., we spread 2 tons of lime per acre in the winter in preparation of sowing fescue. It was applied over the winter and we worked the ground up in the spring with a spring-tooth renovator. When I got off the tractor the first time to see what I was doing, I spotted all the earthworms I’d turned up. I knew it would make a great hay meadow with that many earthworms. It did but at the time I had no idea about the benefits of ag lime promoting them. You can learn a lot about the land when you actually get out and work it. One time a man needed a poultry house cleaned out and gave us the litter. We had no spreader so we hauled in an old dump truck near the place we wanted to fertilize. We were all working and busy, so we managed to borrow a John Deere manure spreader and an old tractor with a loader to spread it in July. I know, wrong time of year, but we had a field so poor it grew nothing. We worked all weekend and got it spread. It rained that summer, so on Labor Day weekend I rode down to look at it. I stand 6 feet tall and the Purpletop grass seed heads in that field were up to my shirt pockets. Treat soil right and you can grow things. God bless you, your family and America, Dusty Richards

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 23, 2015

just a thought

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aves of emotion are crashing over me as I sit down to write my final column as the managing editor of Ozarks Farm & Lynzee Glass graduated Neighbor. It’s hard to believe from Missouri State that three and a half years ago I was writing my University with a first column for OFN. It’s been a wonderful jourdegree in Agricultural ney over the years and I have truly enjoyed fillCommunications in 2008. ing the pages of this wonderful paper with stories She grew up on a family of the Ozarks. farm in Dallas County, Mo. I am forever grateful for the many things this To contact Lynzee call job has taught me. OFN has allowed me to ex1-866-532-1960 or email pand my production agriculture knowledge fareditor@ozarksfn.com. ther than I ever thought possible. Thanks to the multi-species focus of OFN, I am able to take with me valuable resources and knowledge that will help me as I continue my career in agriculture. Thank you to every farmer who has opened up their farm and allowed me to share their story. Thank you to the readers who have called in to share ideas or an encouraging word. Thank you to the businesses, professors, extension specialists and countless others who have shared their expertise and provided a resource for OFN. Thank you to the writers who have shared their talents and made my job easier. Thank you to the staff that has become my second family – it’s been a pleasure. To everyone I’ve met along the way – thank you! You’ve all made my time with OFN special and I will always cherish these experiences. I trust that God has big things in store for me as I close the door to OFN and head out on a different path. I am confident that I am leaving OFN and our readers in good hands. Please allow me to introduce the very talented and successful woman who will be taking my place, Mrs. Julie Turner-Crawford.

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just a thought Keepin’ It Country Continued from Previous Page Julie is a native of the Ozarks, having grown up in Dallas County, Mo., on her family’s commercial cow/calf operation. Julie is no stranger to the show ring or the hard work this lifestyle requires. She is an award-winning writer and photographer who has spent many years in the newspaper industry. Her driven attitude and passion for agriculture will

fit in seamlessly with OFN and I have no doubt that Julie is going to do great things with the paper. Until our paths cross again, keep it country. Best wishes,

Life is Simple Continued from Page 3 “Do you have a road map?” I asked. “No,” she answered, “my GPS is the best, and it can find anything.” I gave her the physical address of the house, but warned her that here in this part of the country, even the best GPS devices sometimes have trouble locating things. I then proceeded to give her perfect instructions on where to turn north, east, west and south. “Whatever you do,” I instructed, “don’t let your GPS take you to Everton. That’s the long way around from where you’re coming. You HAVE to come through Halltown.” She assured me that she could find it and she would see me at 1:00. At 1:30, figuring that she was either a no-show or lost, I called her phone. “Where are you?” I asked. Sheepishly, she answered, “In Everton.” “OK,” I replied while trying my best to

not come across as completely annoyed. “I’ll tell you how to get here from that town.” I proceeded, once again, to give her the best south, west, east and north directions. “It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to get here.” Thirty minutes later, I called her once more. “I’m sorry,” she begged, “but I’m in Halltown, now.” By this time, I was sure my unhappiness was evident. “Go north on Z highway,” I instructed. After too long of a pause, she asked, “Which way is north?” Now, I knew the problem. I have now added one more line in my list of requirements for renting the house. “Prospective renters must know north, south, east and west.” That may seem harsh, but it sounds better than “No one from California allowed.”

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meet your

neighbors Photo by Jack and Pam Fortner

Wife, Mother and Lady Rancher By Jack and Pam Fortner

Learning the ropes from her husband, Heather Martin now takes care of the day-to-day operations on their family farm Heather Martin is a rare girl. She maintains a 200-head cow/calf operation while keeping up the duties of a mother and wife. Heather was born and raised in the Ozarks and currently lives with her husband, Tim, and daughter, Kaylee, on their farm, Ozark Oak Farms, just outside of Yellville, Ark. Pictured L to R: Heather and Kaylee Martin Heather has raised cattle full time for over 11 years and said, “I love working with the animals and being outside.” She added, “The job sort of came with Tim.” He est time of the year, trying to feed and make sure there’s water. “Weather can be a taught her the skills she needed and over time she assumed the role of lady rancher. downer, but it’s just part of ranching. When you have a family business, you take the Tim, who works off the farm at family-owned Ozark Oak Charcoal, gives Heather a good and bad weather, whether you like it or not, and just keep on moving.” The Martin family’s breeding program is geared towards two calving seasons, one break and takes over most of the chores on the weekends. Most modern-day moms have to take a traditional job in town. Heather had the in the fall, one in the spring. They breed their mixed herd with Black Angus and choice of either doing that, or staying home and trying her hand at running cattle. Red Hereford bulls and move them in and out of the herd. The Martins raise and cut She chose to stay home. With the help of Tim and his family, she quickly acquired their own hay, putting up approximately 1,000 round bales each season. They keep the skills that she needed to run cattle. It has enabled her to be available to Kaylee, the cattle off the hay fields until they are finished cutting. Heather said, “In the past I have run all the haying equipment and have been attend school activities and be the proverbial soccer mom – except in this case, it’s a girls basketball mom. Kaylee also keeps Heather hopping with her beauty pageant an active part, but the last few years I have been saved by Tim and the two ranch hands.” Her favorite part of the haying is taking it out of the field and storing it. events. Heather has definitely passed her natural beauty on to her daughter. Ozark Oak Farm is truly a family operation with Heather, Tim and her brother-inBut Heather wants Kaylee to keep her feet on the ground. In an effort to teach her the benefits of hard work, Kaylee participates in various aspects of work on the farm. law sharing specific areas in the operation. Heather takes care of the cows, breeding, birthing and health. They try to do all their own doctoring on the place, She keeps three bottle calves who are her sole responsibility and has a but they have a vet on call when there’s a major problem. Her brothergood start on her own herd. Her cows wear pink ear tags appropriately Yellville, Ark. in-law takes care of moving them to a separate place when they are labeled K-1 through K-5. Heather also says it’s extremely important that ready for weaning and feeding them out, and then prepares them to be she teach her daughter respect, both for herself and others. “I want my shipped to feedlots. daughter to know that she can do anything she chooses: have a career Heather has several goals for the future, such as improving the pastures away from the farm or work the farm.” and updating fences. But her most important goal is to be the best wife, mom The Martin farm is spread over several different locations in both and lady rancher that she can be. Marion and Boone Counties. Heather said that the winter is the tough-

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meet your neighbors

“There are some dates in life you remember, February 5, 2008, is one of them for us.” The story of Dan and Patricia Stewart of Mountain View, Ark., doesn’t start on that ominous date, but their road in life does take a turn at that moment in history. “We use that tornado as a time post in our lives, pre-tornado and post-tornado.” The story of the Stewarts and Star Gap Farm revolves around Dan and Patricia and the life they have built from the land along Star Gap Road Scene for the Governor’s Mansion and in Stone County, Ark. “The road on the farm ends at our house an ornament for the White House,” Dan now, but it used to fork at the top of the told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “We also mountain. Riggsville was down there carved for a guy on the west coast who somewhere around 1830. Long before wholesaled the carvings. “I started helping him in 1988 with Mountain View was on the map,” Dan told of the narrow road running through the carving and did that until the torthe farm. “This was originally my grand- nado blew everything away on February pa’s. He bought it back in the 1930s. 5, 2008,” recalled Patricia. “It was black Mom and dad bought it from grandma and green everywhere. We crawled under the house and could see the trees bending when grandpa died. Now we own it. “I have an uncle who carved and I al- when the door was sucked open,” Dan ways liked to carve. In the 1970s I worked told of the long track tornado. “After it as a woodcarver at a dulcimer shop in was over, we crawled out and found the downtown Mountain View. In 1976 I roof was gone. The other house on the place was leveled. We lost five took a job at the Ozark Folk Center and worked there Mountain View, Ark. barns, two stock trailers and the carving shop and all of for a while. In the 1980s the tools. So that ended carvI picked up a contract to ing for a while.” carve a Nativity Scene for Dan and Patricia started life the Arkansas State Capitol. again from the remains of their It was a life sized carving. I place, “It took us at best 2 and a even carved a small Nativity

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 23, 2015

meet your neighbors half years to rebuild.” And rebuild they did, Dan tells OFN of the rebuild process, “We never got back to the guy we were carving for. With the slate wiped clean, we started something new in 2009. We always had a garden, so we helped get a farmers market together in Mountain View.” Over time the Stewarts developed an extensive client list for their produce. That success led them to develop their current agritourism project. “In 2013 we started looking at a pumpkin patch and corn maze. There wasn’t anything like it in the county. It worked out real well, people really liked it,” tells Patricia of their new venture. “There were a lot of pumpkins. We had never even been to a pumpkin patch. I guess we were gluttons for punStar Gap Farm welcomes visitors to their farm village to see carvings, taste award winning ishment.” The pumpkin produce or have fun in the corn maze. patch and corn maze provided a new avenue of farm income for Dan and Patricia in addition to their beef cat- operation, “Social media really worked. We noticed the pictures of growing and tle herd and farm fresh produce. The Stewarts also built a small village blooming flowers was a real interaction on their homestead and created a new for us. We noticed they were shared a space for the carvings Dan started cre- lot.” When asked about their visitors, ating again, “We built the little village Patricia stated they come from far and over time. We used some of the downed just across the valley, “We had some trees from the tornado to build that barn come from Missouri but a lot came from back.” The village consists of some small a 50-mile radius. We do this ourselves, no buildings that house an assortment of help. We are only open on weekends and antiques and items of interest for visitors that seemed to work for people.” After almost 40 years of marriage, Dan to the farm as well as Dan’s carvings. Dan and Patricia found a modern day and Patricia have built a life from their way of reaching out with their old time spread on Star Gap Farm. From wind charm and activities to a new group of swept devastation to a life built from those patrons, “We used Facebook for our ad- ruins, the Stewarts overcame challenges to vertising. It was amazing how quickly it create a life on the farm. With a son and spread.” Patricia found the interaction grandson to help in the future, opportuusing online services of great help to their nity is written in the stars for the Stewarts. MARCH 23, 2015

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Inoc., Not Coated, Superior Blend (Liberty, Buffalo, 1035)

50 BUFFALO 90% 3.24 50 1035 VARIETY 3.34 50 HAYGRAZER, Inoc., Not Coated 3.88 50 CIMARRON, VL400, Inoc., Not Coated 3.88 50 America’s Roundup Ready® 7.36

GRAINS

Bu.

Bag

64 HAY MASTER, Spring Oats 9.65 19.30 50 BOB OATS, Winter Annual 16.40 48 BARLEY, Winter Annual 15.40 50 SOYBEANS, Laredo 36.65 50 SOYBEANS, Conventional Willcross 29.80 50 SOYBEANS, Willcross, R-Ready, No Contract 32.80 50 SOYBEANS, R-Ready Lewis, RR2473 42.40 80k CORN, R-Ready Lewis, RB110 178.00 80k CORN, Conventional 108 Day, A6395 176.00

GRAIN ADDITIVES

50 LITTLE GIANT SPRING PEA .82 .62 50 HAIRY VETCH 1.78 1.58

Total Germ.

FESCUE

50 KY-31, Cert. & “Fungus Free”

Bag Lb.

91% 1.44

Only $10.00 Per Acre Difference!

50 KY-31 91% .94 50 KY-32, Fungus Free, Cert. 91% 1.44 50 FAST PASTURE MIX, Cattle/Horses 90% 1.42

Hulled Orchard Grass, Fungus-Free KY-31 Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass & Timothy 50 ESTANCIA, Ark. Release 90% 2.87

25 BAR OPTIMA E34 ASK 50 MAX Q II 90% ASK

90% 3.94 3.74

50 LADINO “ROYAL”

Wt. Lbs.

ORCHARD GRASS

Add A Legume!

50 ARID, Drought Tolerant 90% 1.86 50 ARID, Hulled 85% 2.36 50 POTOMAC, Unhulled, Disease Resistant 90% 1.82 50 FAST PASTURE MIX 90% 1.42

Hulled Orchard Grass, Fungus-Free Fescue, KY-31 Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass & Timothy

FIELD GRASSES

50 ABUNDANT 92% .62

Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass

50 BROME, Sow with alfalfa!

85% 2.16

Southland, “The high protein grass.” 50 TIMOTHY, For hay or pasture, horses 90% 1.48 50 REEDS CANARY, Palaton, Special Order 9.86 50 PERENNIAL RYEGRASS, Best-for Plus 92% .96 50 ANNUAL RYEGRASS, Common .58 50 MATUA, Prairie Brome 2.18

LESPEDEZA

50 KOBE, “Hay Type” 90% 1.24 50 KOBE/KOREAN MIX, Inoc. 90% 1.16 50 KOREAN 90% .94

SUDAN/MILLET

.52 Piper Cross = Low Prussic Acid 50 SWEET CHOW, “BMR” 6 Sudan .89 50 HYBRID PEARL, Millet, Sweet Graze 1.14 50 MILLET, GERMAN, Strain R .83 50 SAFE “T” GRAZE, Sudan

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

Nixa, Missouri • nixahardware.com SAVE YOUR SEED SAMPLE

SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE

We Are Your Ag Chemicals Headquarters No license req’d to buy 2,4-D or GrazonNext!

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

ozarks

roots

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home Photo by Terry Ropp

Memories

Sprinkled

with Humor By Terry Ropp

103-year-old Buster Austin shares stories of his life in the Ozarks

Personal memories of the 1930s and 1940s are becoming increasingly rare. Buster Austin was born in 1912 in Arkansas and returned in 1980 when he retired. He now lives on 240 acres in Huntsville, Ark., near where he was born and has a small commercial herd of 14 mommas and an Angus bull. Buster said, “I like keeping 14 so I have enough to fool with. If I quit, I will die.” The family still has land that his grandfather settled right after the Civil War. Many of Buster’s early life experiences are things most people understand only by watching historical documentaries.

His vivid memories reveal a simple and challenging life sprinkled with good humor. One big differences between then and now is the wildlife. There were no turkeys, armadillos, road runners, coyotes or even deer. Problem predators were bear and wolves which threatened family survival. During winters, people would literally crawl into bear caves while the bears were sleeping, stab their hearts and pull them out after they had died. Buster’s dad had a few milk cows which were pastured in communal free range land. Near the house were pigs, chickens and a garden. Buster said, “I grew up behind two mules used for plowing.” Buster

fondly remembers an old mule named Bill that hated chickens who tried to eat his grain. Buster and his little brother loved his mother’s fried chicken and baked apples. When they really wanted chicken, they would put some chicken feed by a hole in the corral. As a chicken walked through the hole to follow the grain, the mule would kill it. They would then take the dead chicken back to their mom claiming Bill had killed another one. Buster said, “I’m pretty sure my dad knew exactly what we were doing, but he never told on us. I think he liked fried chicken too.” When his father died in 1926, 14-yearold Buster quit school to help support the

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

family. He worked using their mule team to haul stave bolts, 40-inch long pieces of lumber processed for making barrels. The process required driving the team and wagon to a landowner 5 miles away and then to Kingston where the staves were made. Only then could Buster go back home for dinner. He was paid a penny a bolt and could hold 400 in his wagon which meant he earned $4 a day. Buster said, “Winter was terrible because I always had to drive on a big, muddy creek bed in the cold since there were no roads.” Buster continued hauling wood until 1932 when the Great Depression dried up the whole manufacturing process. MARCH 23, 2015

Ozark

ozarks roots

Red Roundup

April 18, 2015 |12 pm

Selling more than

170

Springfield Livestock Marketing Center Springfield, MO head

registered & commercial Red Angus bulls, pairs, bred cows & heifers

Everybody knows the stories of the great cattle drives, but few people realize that in those years hogs, turkeys and geese also had to be driven to market. Buster said, “Turkeys were particularly fun because once the sun went down, they stopped. It was time to roost so they did regardless of where they were, whether that was in a town or on a road.” During the Depression, the family survived the way everyone did by growing and raising everything they needed. Buster said, “We never went hungry and always had plenty on the table. We butchered hogs had lots of canned fruits, vegetables and meat. The well or a spring house served as a short term cooler because we had no electricity or ice box.” Buster also remembers he and his older brother putting their pennies together for a total of five which bought them 15 to 20 shells for their .22 caliber. Buster said, “We went and killed us a mess of squirrels. Mom made a stew out of the old ones and fried the young ones. That was a fun day.” Then World War II came. Buster was one of the first to be called up on the draft. He went into a large building with bare wooden floors at Camp Robinson near Little Rock, Ark. He had to undress and put his clothes along the wall. Then he lined up with everyone else and went through an assembly line of doctors, each checking for soundness in a different area of the body. Buster was rejected, called back a second time, rejected again and told if he was called back a third time to leave everything at home because he was going to go to war. He was never called back. Buster spent the war years on the West Coast in a shipyard as a welder with his wife, Vercie, who also a welder at the same facility. They lived in a one bedroom apartment that cost them $32 a month. Buster’s wife passed in the 1960s and they had no children. Coming back to family and Arkansas made sense. Now Buster enjoys feeding his cattle and raking the hay his nephew Danny cuts.

MARCH 23, 2015

www.redangus.org

www.missouriredangus.com

auctioneer:

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

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Sea Minerals FA Call 479-524-8921 for a brochure or your nearest dealer Siloam Springs, Arkansas www.SeaMineralsFA.com

86th Annual Bull & Female Sale

April 4, 2015 • 12:30 p.m.

Springfield Livestock Marketing Center

Selling 70 Lots: 20 Bulls and 50 Females

eye on

agri-business

Triple S Horsemanship Owner: Chynell Hudson Location: Harrison, Ark. History: Chynell (pronounced “Chanel”) has been training individuals and their horses for five years. This started out as a part-time job while going to school and now she is preparing to make it a full-time job. Chynell said, “When I started college I worked for free a lot, just to get experience and to get my name out there.” She loves what she does and has been riding since she could sit on a horse. Her love of horses led her to win three showmanship buckles when she lived in Oklahoma. Cheynell had horses named Shiloh and Sundance, and now she has Samson. Using the first letter of each of their names has contributed to Chynell’s business name, Triple S Horsemanship. Services: Chynell can break, teach and train horses for owners who need someone who will travel to their location. She will ride horses that need to be exercised and shaped up for an upcoming event or activity. Chynell especially enjoys teaching barrel racing because she has a passion for the sport herself and has a goal to race in the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) someday. Chynell said that she enjoys teaching the horse and owner together. She said, “People always tell me I have a natural talent. I can work with horses that most people have issues with.” Being willing to travel makes her services unique because it’s like having a personal trainer for a horse and its rider, right at your place.

D Bar L Queen 11311 Two year old by SAV North Dakota, with a March calf by Ten X.

AA Upshot R43

Herdsire by Upshot from an Objective dam back to the $400,000 GAR Ext 614 Show-MeSelect heifer qualified and top 15% for CED, WW, YW and $B.

For additional information or to request a sale book contact: The Missouri Angus Association Josh Worthington, General Manager Office 417-995-3000 • Mobile 417-844-2601 E-mail: worthington@missouriangus.org View the entire sale book online at www.missouriangus.org

meeting the needs of farmers

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Philosophy: Chynell said, “I want to train horses to be the best they can be.” She said that her dad and 4-H leaders taught her that philosophy when she was little and she tries to live her life that way each day. With only three more classes to finish on her degree in Agricultural Business Marketing and Management at the University of Arkansas and a new business taking off, she seems to be moving in the right direction. Chenell said, “This is my dream, working with horses.” Story and Photo By Jack and Pam Fortner MARCH 23, 2015

meet your neighbors

Putting Food Safety First

$16,950

AND

FOR

1025R Tractor Package 1025R Sub-Compact Tractor + H120 loader + 60D deck with AutoConnect™

APR MONTHS

By Terry Ropp

Dave and Pat Sargent keep meticulous records of their crops to produce the safest product possible Dave and Pat Sargent retired from dairy farming in 1990. At that time Dave decided to raise vegetables on 1/2 acre of their 40 acres outside of Prairie Grove, Ark., for personal use and “for something to do.” Dave grew up in the 1940s when if you didn’t raise it, you didn’t eat it giving him his crop farming foundation. Dave remembers his folks trading any extra dried

Even with only 1/2 acre planted, the couple grew far more produce than they could use. They started selling the surplus at the Fayetteville Farmers Market but found even that outlet did not solve the surplus problem and added Harps and Marvin’s to their outlets. Eventually they expanded the produce acreage and now sell exclusively to WalMart. Dave believes in feeding the world. He said, “Asian farm-

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ANDERSON ...............700 71 Hwy W Outer Rd ................(417) 436-3333 FREISTATT .................524 N Main St..................................(417) 235-7279 HARRISON.................3440 Hwy 65 S................................(870) 741-4915 JEFFERSON CITY ......Junction 50 & 63............................ (573) 455-2353 LEBANON..................1001 Deere Ln................................. (417) 532-2011 NIXA ..........................Hwy 160 and CC ..............................(417) 724-2226 ROGERSVILLE ...........4655 E Hwy 60 ................................(417) 881-2677 ROLLA........................11875 County Rd 3080...................(573) 368-2011 WEST PLAINS ...........3285 N US Hwy 63 ..........................(417) 256-7127

*Offer ends 4/30/2015. Prices and model availability may vary by dealer. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Available at participating dealers. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Valid only at participating US Dealers. LFL4X60323OFA-BW

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“The soil must be alive with microbes and nutrients concentrated in the top six inches,” explained Dave and Pat Sargent.

Shops, barns, stacking sheds, compost sheds, work sheds and generator sheds. Turn key projects: poultry houses, turkey breeder and broiler Photo by Terry Ropp

ers are the best and you can always spot their produce at a farmers markets because each piece is perfect. However, Asian beans or peas for sugar and flour. Pies or farmers are slow and methodical and percakes were a rare treat. Part of Dave’s fectionists. They will never feed the world learning to live with the land rather than because they grow as much on 1 acre as we using it came from harvesting honey from can grow on 10 acres. They do everything by hand and it shows.” bee trees which the famFood safety defines the crop ily found by watching bees. industry. Everything on a crop Once done collecting pollen, Prairie Grove, Ark. farm is recorded, from equipbees fly straight to their tree, ment maintenance to plant testthus the term “beeline.” The ing to restroom cleaning. Dave family cut the tree and collected honey while the bees found a new tree to colonize. — Continued on Page 20 MARCH 23, 2015

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country

in the field and in the office

Ronnie Mathis Family: Ronnie Mathis lives near Muldrow, Okla., with his wife, Eran.

417-865-3535

Livestock, Flatbed and Dump Trailers

town &

In Town: “I became disabled five years ago when I worked as an excavator and I’m on a fixed income. In order to make more money, I opened 64 Swap Meet in Muldrow, Okla. I have used general merchandise, collectibles, antiques, household goods and camping and fishing gear, almost anything somebody might want. I sell, trade and sometimes buy storage units with an antique dealer splitting the goods according to where they will sell best. My Muldrow business is housed in 25 small storage units and open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday because I go to church. People can come and set up tables to sell their goods, which brings in more traffic for my business. Those people also often supply me with ready inventory because they don’t want to take home what they did not sell.” In the Country: “The rest of my week is for my country life. My wife, Eran, and I live on 80 acres in Shady Grove Community. We had cattle and hay but had to change when I became disabled. Though I was born and raised in the town, I learned about farming from an uncle who raised heifers, gilts and produce discovering I was a country boy at heart. After I got hurt, I decided to go with Boer goats because they are meat goats and easier to care for than dairy. Although I learned about goats through trial and error and stupid mistakes, I did learn and love it. I especially enjoy breeding and refining my herd. I feed round bales, sweet feed, pellets and corn chops. The sweet feed gives them a more ready appetite and the corn adds fat. My land used to be scrubby but the goats cleaned it up so now it is mostly Bermuda with a little Johnson. I have no clover because clover is not good for goats. My land is hayed on shares and limed and fertilized every few years. We also have four pigs for family meat and 20 laying hens but give most of the eggs to people who need them. Both of my businesses provide needed supplementary income and work well together because I sometimes sell my goats at the swap meet though most are sold by word-ofmouth for breeding purposes.”

Tahlequah, OK 918-456-0557 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Story and Photo By Terry Ropp MARCH 23, 2015

Circle S Ranch

John & Carla Shearer & family PO Box 239, Canton, KS 67428 H 620-628-4621 C 620-654-6507 circle_s@hometelco.net Like us on Facebook!

“Going to Grass” Guest Consignnors Arlen Becker – 620-242-4311 Danny Brooks – 785-458-9504 Johnny Herrman – 620-855-0063 Al & Mary Knapp – 913-219-6613 Kevin McClayland – 620-431-8721

market sale

steers 550-600 LBS.

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

slaughter

***

(Week of 3/8/15 to 3/14/15)

267.26

*** Week of 2/15/15

115.00-138.00 † 119.00-143.00 †

Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Cleburne County Livestock County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction

* ** **

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

** *** *** *** * 267.50

281.16

256.62

123.00-153.00 † No Sale* None Reported* 119.00-147.50 † 129.00-158.00 †

127.00-143.00 † 112.00-138.00 † 125.00-154.00* 119.00-148.00 †

110

130

Week of 2/22/15

*** 251.82

slaughter

* 275.00

150

170

cows

(Week of 3/8/15 to 3/14/15)

Arkansas Cattle Auction

81.00-129.00 † 8 62.50-117.50 † 6 87.00-117.00 †

Ash Flat

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

247.51 256.00 252.56 276.45

* 243.00 259.89 *** 246.43 259.83

98.00-129.00* 89.00-124.00 † 76.00-126.50 † 72.50-122.00 † 85.00-133.00 † No Sale* 89.00-122.00* 80.00-122.50 † 93.00-132.00 † 103.00-124.50 † 84.00-128.00 †

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

243.44 *** ***

90.00-122.00* 85.00-114.00 † 82.00-118.00 † 8 100.00-128.00*

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

90.00-134.00* 84.00-133.00 †

100

120

140

sheep &

160

1800.00-2150.00. ind 2375.00,Jerseys 1750.00-1850.00,

*** *** * 261.79

* 281.56 252.06 271.31 258.30 Week of 3/8/15

263.94 271.67 272.91 260.00 253.05 257.58 253.56 272.85 278.65

200

224 248 272 296 320 * 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.

16 16

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.

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 3/10/15

Ash Flat Livestock

322

Slaughter Classes: K 300.00. Selection 2 4 40-95 lbs 230.00-247 Nannies: Selection 1 Billies: Selection 1-2 Replacement Nannie 175.00. Several Fami 170.00-315.00 per fam 205.00 by the head. Replacement Billie the head. Feeder Kids: Selecti tion 2-3 25-45 220.0 per head.

dairy cattle

104.00-141.50 †

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

* ***

125.00-140.00* 134.00 † 135.50 † 115.00-135.00* 120.00-148.00* 131.00-145.00 † 117.50-150.00 †

cattle

Approved 1500.00-1775.00, Jerseys 1600.00-1700.00, Medium 1200.00-1450.00, few Jerseys 1300.00, ind crossbred 1375.00, Common 900.00-1075.00. Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle 3/15/15 Heifers bred three to six months: Supreme 1800.002000.00, ind Jersey 1675.00, Approved 1475.00-1775.00, 5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) few Jerseys 1075.00-1350.00, ind crossbred 1600.00, Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Medium 1250.00-1400.00. Steers: 160.00-163.50; wtd. avg. price 161.55. Heifers bred one to three months: Approved 1375.00Heifers: 159.50-163.00; wtd. avg. price 161.12. 1600.00, Jerseys 1150.00-1300.00, ind crossbred 1385.00. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Open Heifers: Approved 315-380 lbs 640.00- 730.00, Steers: 255.00-260.00; wtd. avg. price 257.60. 417-495 lbs 770.00- 880.00, few Jerseys 780.00-790.00, Heifers: 255.00-262.00; wtd. avg. price 257.47. few crossbreds 790.00-890.00, 592-595 lbs 950.001070.00, 700-732 lbs 975.00-1070.00, Medium and Common Open Heifers were scarce. Replacement Cows: Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards 3/12/15 Fresh and Milking Cows: Approved 1570.00-1725.00, Medium 1300.00-1475.00, few Jerseys 1180.00-1275.00, Receipts: 488 Common 900.00-1090.00. Springer Heifers Bred Seven to Nine Months: Supreme Springer Cows: Approved few Jerseys 1625.00-1725.00, 1950.00-2075.00, Approved 1675.00-1900.00, Individual Crossbred 1675.00, Medium 1400.00-1525.00, Crossbreeds Medium few 1200.00-1300.00, few Jerseys 1050.001110.00. 1375.00-1500.00, Common 975.00-1225.00. Bred Cows: Scarce. Heifers Bred Four to Six Months: Medium Individual Baby Calves: Holstein heifers-ind 400.00, Holstein bulls 1325.00, Common Individual 1125.00. 190 Heifers Bred One to Three Months: Approved Pair 180.00-380.00, Jersey heifers ind 240.00, Jersey bulls 140.00-180.00, Crossbred heifers few 200.00-360.00, Crossbreeds 1435.00. Crossbred bulls 150.00- 390.00. Open heifers: Approved 200-300 lbs pkg 20 hd 700.00, Pkg 26 hd 307 lbs 835.00, 400-500 lbs Jerseys 750.00775.00, Brown Swiss 850.00, 500-600 lbs Crossbreeds 1020.00, Brown Swiss 1025.00, 700-800 lbs Ind. Crossbred 1175.00, Medium 500-600 Individual Jersey 700.00, 3/5/15 600-700 Individual 835.00, 700-800 Individual Crossbred Diamond, Mo • TS Whites Sheep and Goat Sale 750.00. Receipts: 1013 Fresh Milking Heifers and Cows: Supreme Individual Sheep: 2100.00, Approved 1700.00-1850.00, Crossbreeds Slaughter Lambs: Wooled non-traditional markets, Choice 1575.00-1875.00, Medium 1200.00-1575.00, Crossbreeds and Prime 2-3 50-65 lbs 252.50-262.50. Mixed Good and 1350.00-1400.00, Common 750.00-1150.00, Crossbreeds Choice 1-2 75-80 lbs 225.00-237.50; pkg aged wethers 122 930.00-1200.00, Jerseys 725.00-1050.00. lbs 110.00. Bred and Springer Cows: Approved Individual 1575.00, Hair lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 45-85 lbs 265.00-275.00; Medium 1400.00-1425.00, Ind. Crossbred 1430.00, Jerseys Choice 2-3 40-85 lbs 250.00-262.50; Mixed Good and Choice 1110.00-1375.00, Common 900.00-970.00, Ind. Crossbred 1-2 50-90 lbs 220.00-240.00. 975.00, Jerseys 800.00-1000.00. Feeder/Stocker Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2 Hair and NonBaby Calves: Holstein Heifers 300.00-435.00, Holstein Traditional 30-50 lbs 240.00-265.00; 50-75 lbs 237.50-247.50. Bulls 400.00-540.00, Jersey Heifers Individual 425.00, Slaughter Ewes: Few Good 2-3 85-165 lbs 87.50-115.00. Jersey Bulls Large 260.00-350.00, Small 150.00-210.00, Slaughter Bucks: scarce. Crossbred Heifers 250.00-350.00, Crossbred Bulls Large Replacement Ewes: Medium and Large 1-2 85-165 lbs 120.00310.00-480.00, Small 170.00-200.00. 140.00. Several families with single or twin lambs at side Springfield, Mo. • Springfield Livestock Marketing Center 2/24/15 200.00-255.00 per family. Replacement Bucks: Medium 1 ind. 195 lbs 175.00. Receipts: 401 Goats: Springer Heifers bred seven to nine months: Supreme

beef

117.00-140.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction

*** ***

Week of 3/1/15

bulls

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

3/13/15

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 3/12/15

508

860

-----

St-15 Higher

310.00-365.00 267.50-322.50 245.00-272.50 220.00-245.00 -----

Koshkonong, Mo • Oreg

Receipts: 49 Goats: Slaughter Kids: Sele lbs 260.00. Selection influence 190.00. Slaughter Does/Nan 95.00. Slaughter Bucks: Se lbs 115.00.

Buffalo, Mo • Buffalo Li

goats

Receipts: 615 Sheep: Slaughter Lambs: Ch lbs 180.00; hair 50-60 272.50-280.00; 60-70 230.00; 90-110 lbs 19 207.50. Feeder/Stocker Lamb 250.00-265.00. Slaughter Ewes: Uti 130.00; 120-135 lbs 1 lbs 85.00-97.00; pkg 1 Slaughter Bucks: few Replacement Sheep: single babies 205.00-2 Goats: Kids: Selection 1 45-6 lbs 285.00-297.50; 60 55 lbs 280.00-292.00; Does/Nannies: Selec tion 2-3 80-105 lbs 13 89 lbs 140.00 per hea

stocker & feeder

County Line Sale Ratcliff 3/11/15

Decatur Livestock*

3/11/15

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 3/9/15

839

278

175

550

548

667

400

-----

3-10 Higher

-----

St-10 Higher

4-6 Higher

-----

2-10 Higher

----275.00-319.00 266.00-275.00 228.50 -----

316.00-353.00 280.00-329.00 241.00-291.00 230.00-260.00 212.00-226.00

310.00-345.00 290.00-340.00 270.00-303.00 220.00-260.00 205.00-220.00

297.50-350.00 270.00-310.00 244.00-274.00 ---------

312.50 287.50-322.00 260.00-280.00 242.50-252.50 201.00-220.00

310.00-375.00 280.00-305.00 240.00-262.00 210.00-234.00 190.00-210.00

322.00-360.00 293.00-322.00 256.00-293.00 224.00-256.00 199.00-224.00

250.00-375.00 290.00-337.50 249.00-282.50 221.00-250.00 -----

307.50-373.00 279.00-310.00 250.00-273.00 244.00-250.00 199.00-206.00

315.0 286.0 270.0 238.0 200.0

----255.00-265.00 235.00-262.50 222.50-237.50 -----

----300.00-318.00 -------------

312.00-353.00 277.00-325.00 238.00-266.00 219.00-235.00 189.00-200.00

280.00-338.00 260.00-320.00 235.00-297.00 210.00-233.00 -----

--------235.00-264.00 235.00-236.00 210.00-215.00

----270.00 260.00 ---------

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

322.50-352.50 268.00-322.50 237.50-280.00 210.00-242.50 206.00-209.00

----264.00-297.00 241.00-261.00 216.00-225.00 -----

264.0 -

275.00-325.00 257.50-287.50 220.00-262.50 215.00-218.00 -----

----258.00-272.00 240.00-243.00 ---------

279.00-301.00 251.00-288.00 218.00-258.00 210.00-230.00 195.00-214.00

270.00-320.00 245.00-286.00 235.00-267.00 205.00-220.00 185.00-192.00

275.00-310.00 240.00-295.00 218.00-244.00 210.00-218.00 -----

290.00 265.00-270.00 247.50-257.50 215.00 -----

290.00-322.00 245.00-265.00 225.00-240.00 200.00-224.00 175.00-198.00

279.00-301.00 250.00-279.00 230.00-250.00 202.00-230.00 -----

280.00-322.50 255.00-285.00 217.00-252.50 216.00-223.00 -----

290.00-314.00 261.00-285.00 229.00-251.00 217.00-223.00 210.00

283.0 257.0 245.0 218.0 206.0

3/10/15

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale 3/11/15 3/13/15

Ft. Smith Livestock 3/9/15

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

MARCH 23, 2015

ILives Oz 3/1

ket sales reports

00, Holstein bulls 0, Jersey bulls 00.00-360.00,

goats

bs 265.00-275.00; d Good and Choice

e 1-2 Hair and Nonlbs 237.50-247.50. 87.50-115.00.

2 85-165 lbs 120.00lambs at side

3/13/15

Soybeans

130.00; 120-135 lbs 115.00-120.00. Cull and Utility 1-2 90-125 lbs 85.00-97.00; pkg 153 lbs 75.00. Slaughter Bucks: few 200-250 lbs 90.00-100.00. Replacement Sheep: couple families 85-100 lbs hair ewes with single babies 205.00-225.00 per family. Goats: Kids: Selection 1 45-65 lbs 295.00-302.00. Selection 1-2 40-60 lbs 285.00-297.50; 60-75 lbs 267.50-295.00. Selection 2-3 4555 lbs 280.00-292.00; 80-85 lbs 250.00-260.00. Does/Nannies: Selection 1-2 85-125 lbs 140.00-165.00. Selection 2-3 80-105 lbs 130.00-147.50; pkg 10 hd young nannies 89 lbs 140.00 per head; 110-135 lbs 130.00-140.00; 150-160 lbs

Sorghum

16 12 8 4 0

9.80 5.22

8.05

5.17

3.91

3.86

le na hevil Hele Blyt

laine

9.80

9.55

5.22

8.41 4.87

ceola

3.81

a gust

Pine

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

f Bluf

1445.00-1750.00 † 1150.00-2200.00 † 1160.00-2425.00 † No Sale* 1675.00-1900.00*

*** *** 218.58 *

1000

2000

3000

cow/calf

* 211.11

4000

pairs

(Week of 3/8/15 to 3/14/15) Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Cleburne County Livestock County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock

1000

1450.00-2050.00 †

210.68 * * ** **

1900.00-2650.00 †

223.68

1700.00-2750.00 * None Reported † None Reported † 2150.00-3000.00* 2200.00-2800.00 *

217.00 * 242.26

2100.00-2575.00 † 2050.00 †

1500.00-2300.00 † 1400.00-2050.00 †

221.33

No Sale * None Reported*

2350.00 †

***

1650.00-3200.00 † 1375.00-2075.00 † 1800.00-2900.00 † 2000.00-2900.00 * None Reported †

2000

3000

4000

215.93 * *** ***

5000

** *** ***

Mid-State Mo-Ark Stockyards* Exeter, Mo.* 3/14/15

605

10282

-----

779

11074

300

2541

1945

2229

-----

2-10 Higher

-----

St-15 Higher

-----

10-25 Higher

2-5 Higher

5-10 Higher

4-15 Higher

Higher

0.00-375.00 0.00-337.50 9.00-282.50 1.00-250.00 -----

307.50-373.00 279.00-310.00 250.00-273.00 244.00-250.00 199.00-206.00

315.00-385.00 286.00-312.50 270.00-294.50 238.00-244.00 200.00-223.00

325.00-355.00 265.00-345.00 235.00-312.50 220.00-266.00 200.00-231.00

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

313.00-353.00 296.00-319.00 240.00-298.00 225.00-243.00 205.00-211.00

330.00-372.50 285.00-324.00 266.00-284.00 240.00-273.50 222.00-225.00

355.00-405.00 295.00-340.00 267.50-299.00 224.00-251.00 207.00-226.00

326.00-375.00 277.00-324.00 270.00-288.00 248.00-253.00 -----

320.00-367.50 295.00-325.00 270.00-303.00 237.50-265.00 205.0-227.00

325.00-420.00 280.00-330.00 260.00-300.00 220.00-269.00 190.00-220.00

378.00-389.00 300.00-326.00 268.00-305.00 243.00-260.00 193.00-222.50

2.50-352.50 8.00-322.50 7.50-280.00 0.00-242.50 6.00-209.00

----264.00-297.00 241.00-261.00 216.00-225.00 -----

--------264.00-268.00 ---------

300.00-405.00 287.50-315.00 ----212.50-230.00 -----

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

----301.00-318.00 252.00-260.00 215.00-218.00 -----

290.00-318.00 275.00-317.00 ----222.00-236.00 190.00

--------240.00-270.00 222.00 -----

----------------196.00-205.00

------------235.00 199.00

315.00-405.00 270.00-320.00 250.00-288.00 220.00-250.00 185.00-215.00

310.00-319.00 311.00-320.00 250.00-265.00 216.00-259.00 210.00-211.00

12 6$/(

-----

400

MARCH 23, 2015

220.17 ***

1700.00-2175.00 †

3/9/15

277.50-332.50 230.00-314.00 207.50-277.00 196.50-237.50 189.00-213.00

***

5000

667

283.00-303.00 257.00-285.00 245.00-258.00 218.00-226.00 206.00-210.00

** ***

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 2/11/15

290.00-314.00 261.00-285.00 229.00-251.00 217.00-223.00 210.00

1400.00-2650.00 † 1800.00-2475.00 * 1100.00-2350.00 †

Mid-State Stockyards Mo-Ark - Exeter North Arkansas Livestock OKC West - El Reno Ouachita Livestock Ozarks Regional Stockyard Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction

7.25 4.99

1400.00-2175.00 †

228.09 **

1425.00-1975.00 † 1750.00-2600.00 † 1575.00-2250.00 †

Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional

9.46

3.86

Mid-State Stockyards Mo-Ark - Exeter North Arkansas

*** ***

1500.00-2500.00 † 1200.00-2325.00 * 1350.00-2000.00 † None Reported † 1500.00-2450.00* 1820.00-2400.00 *

I-40 Livestock Ozark 3/12/15

0.00-322.50 5.00-285.00 7.00-252.50 6.00-223.00 -----

Joplin Regional Stockyards 3/9/15

Corn

prices

Ft. Smith Livestock

Soft Wheat

230.82 ***

† 10 1000.00-2000.00

Week of 2/15/15

dairy sales

Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.5450 and 40# blocks at $1.5700. The weekly average for barrels is $1.5450 (+.0515) and blocks, $1.5680 (+.0160). Fluid Milk: Milk production is steady to increasing across the nation. Warmer weather across the northern tier of states has improved cow comfort levels. Arizona milk production is near its seasonal peak. New Mexico processors are working additional loads caused by last week’s inclement weather and 0 operational issues. Class I demand is mixed as some educational institutions are on spring break. Increased ice cream production Buffalo, Mo • Buffalo Livestock Market 2/24/2015 schedules are pulling additional loads of condensed skim and Receipts: 615 cream. Cream is actively clearing to butter churns ahead of the Sheep: upcoming holiday. Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 wooled few 100-125 SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER lbs 180.00; hair 50-60 lbs 265.00-272.50, couple pkgs fancy POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper 272.50-280.00; 60-70 lbs 257.50-260.00; 75-85 lbs 225.00Midwest - $2.0896-2.1950. 230.00; 90-110 lbs 190.00-200.00. Choice 1-2 pkg 82 lbs 207.50. Feeder/Stocker Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2 hair 30-50 lbs 250.00-265.00. Week Ended 3/17/15 Slaughter Ewes: Utility and Good 2-3 hair 95-120 lbs 120.00-

feeder

armers estock ringdale 3/13/15

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

avg. grain prices

markets, Choice ixed Good and aged wethers 122

bs 175.00.

National Dairy Market at a Glance

2/28/2015

***

1250.00-1750.00 †

Arkansas Cattle

Receipts: 49 Goats: Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 45-60 lbs 280.00, 200.00; 61-80 lbs 260.00. Selection 2 45-60 lbs 265.00. Sleceion 2-3 dairy influence 190.00. Slaughter Does/Nannies: Selection 2 115.00. pygmy any grade 95.00. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1-2 115.00. aged wethers over 100 lbs 115.00.

1625.00-1725.00, eys 1050.00-

3/5/15

Koshkonong, Mo • Oregon County Goat and Sheep Market

cows

(Week of 3/8/15 to 3/14/15)

Week of 2/22/15

570.00-1725.00, 180.00-1275.00,

110.00-129.00. Billies: Selection 1 2 head 62 lbs 215.00 per head. Selection 2-3 75-110 lbs 155.00-165.00; 115-145 lbs 120.00-137.50. Wethers: Selection 1 lot 43 head 66 lbs 280.00. Selection 2 100-110 lbs 170.00-175.00. Families: Selection 1 ind doe 80 lbs with 2 babies 230.00 per family. Stocker/Feeder Kids: Selection 1-2 25-35 lbs 260.00-300.00. Selection 2-3 30-40 lbs 225.00. Selection 3 30-40 lbs few 175.00-180.00. Few bottle babies 9.00-32.00 per head.

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

Week of 3/1/15

proved 1375.00rossbred 1385.00. 40.00- 730.00, 780.00-790.00, lbs 950.00Medium and

replacement

Slaughter Classes: Kids: Selection 1-2 40-75 lbs 280.00300.00. Selection 2 40-85 lbs 250.00-277.50. Selection 2-3 40-95 lbs 230.00-247.50. Nannies: Selection 1-2 70-160 lbs 105.00-137.50. Billies: Selection 1-2 65-200 lbs 115.00-150.00. Replacement Nannies: Selection 1-2 50-170 lbs 140.00175.00. Several Families with single and twin kids at side 170.00-315.00 per family. Several young bred nannies 185.00205.00 by the head. Replacement Billies: Selection 1 ind 170 lbs 275.00 by the head. Feeder Kids: Selection 1-2 30-40 lbs 265.00-275.00. Selection 2-3 25-45 220.00-250.00. Several bottle kids 17.00-55.00 per head.

heifers 550-600 LBS.

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

270.00-330.00 265.00-286.00 222.00-261.00 200.00-219.00 175.00-201.00

270.00-311.00 236.00-278.00 228.00-265.00 210.00-235.00 185.00-198.00

OKC West - El Reno, Okla. 3/11/15

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. 3/13/15

Ozarks Regional West Plains 3/10/15

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 3/11/15

Tulsa Livestock Auction. 3/9/15

----274.00-312.50 246.00-264.00 201.00-239.00 179.00-211.00

282.00-292.00 260.00-274.00 235.00-260.00 ---------

275.00-300.00 258.00-286.00 236.00-270.00 202.50-236.00 196.00-215.00

280.00-310.00 255.00-300.00 230.00-269.00 200.00-230.00 190.00-210.00

299.00-313.00 269.00-298.00 239.00-291.00 210.00-226.50 186.00-199.00

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

250.00 238.77

241.46 251.01 229.00 234.38 226.10 233.82

Week of 3/8/15

0.00-1700.00, 300.00, ind 75.00. reme 1800.001475.00-1775.00, red 1600.00,

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

237.66 247.35 250.77 228.80 222.39 229.81 245.99 242.11

195

212 229 246 263 280 * 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.

17 17

Benton County Sale Barn, Inc. meet your neighbors 20 Years of Serving the Tri-State Area

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Sale Every Thursday at 12 p.m.

By Terry Ropp

Scott and Michelle Ramsey explained that transparency in the turkey industry keeps customers informed

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Scott and Michelle Ramsey have raised Cargill turkeys for 20 years on 250 acres in Summers, Ark. The hen raising operation consists of one brooding house with 17,000 poults and two grow-out houses with another 17,000 hens staying for a total of 12 to 13 weeks. Scott clearly remembers March 1989, when Arkan-

because the cleanout and maintenance period for the brooding and growing-out houses are staggered. The Ramseys began by raising toms but switched to hens about 4 years ago when Cargill decided to move the toms further north to Missouri and bring the hens to Arkansas to take better advantage of natural climate averages. In general, the hens are sold as

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Cell: 501-940-0299 Email: kgcagle@windstream.net www.rosebudfeeders.com

3/14/16 3/3/14

H Charles S. Hatfield, DVM 479-273-3921 • 479-531-2605

Bentonville, AR 3/14/16 3/3/14 2/9/15

Scott and Michelle Ramsey supplement their poultry income by raising and selling Charolais influenced cattle.

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Angus Bulls

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Call Toll Free 1-866-532-1960 18

Photo by Terry Ropp

sas was hit with a serious winter storm whole birds while the much larger toms and he helped to save brood birds from are further processed for consumer prodbeing destroyed on property he was to ucts such as ground turkey, turkey bolopurchase six years later. Scott said, “I gna or turkey bacon. Other differences between worked all night for chocothe chicken and turkey inlate chip cookies, but they dustries are that turkey gewere worth it.” Summers, Ark. netics have changed little One of the biggest differsince the Ramseys started ences between raising turand that improvements in raiskeys and raising chickens is ing methods have not required that at least one of the housextensive structural or refitting es is occupied at all times

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 23, 2015

meet your neighbors changes in the houses. Consequently the Ramsey brooding house is 50 years old while the rebuilt grow-out houses are approaching 26. Scott said, “Continuous and meticulous maintenance keep the houses viable. You are constantly fixing or replacing something from curtains to fans to waterers.” Michelle said, “I can handle the place by myself if Scott goes out of town, but he never leaves me when the maintenance work needs to be done, when the brooders arrive or when the birds are transferred to the growout houses. When the transfer occurs, a pathway is cordoned off using portable orange construction fence. Additionally, a plastic pipe with a red flag on the end is used to encourage the birds to make the necessary 250 foot transition to the grow-out houses. Cargill reproduces the turkeys using AI because the toms are too big for the hens and then hatches them before delivery to the producer. New arrivals are hand delivered a crumble starter feed for 10 days using a wheelbarrow. Then the young turkeys are fed a series of four pellet types nutritionally designed for different stages of the birds’ growth. According to Scott, the biggest change in the turkey industry is transparency. He said, “Farmers as a whole take better care of their animals than themselves. The difference now is consumers want proof of what we do.” Michelle agreed, “We haven’t really changed what we do, just some of the steps. For example we now go through our field man and a vet to get a prescription when the birds become sick. We used to contact our field man and he would make the decision to initiate treatment without the vet prescription. The new system, however, is efficient, and delays treatment by perhaps only one day with the added benefit of consumers being assured of product quality.” While the Ramseys milked cows for 14 years, they have always raised commercial cattle. As their children Cassy, Devan, and Audie grew older and family activities became more time consuming, Scott and Michelle decided to discontinue milking and expand their commercial herd. They currently have 60 Charolais cross mommas bred by two Red Angus bulls. Scott said, “Our yellow-red cattle MARCH 23, 2015

sell well while maintaining the Angus body structure so favored by the market.” Breeding season is controlled by pulling the bulls from September to December and from March to June. Calves are sold at 500 to 600 pounds at the Stilwell Livestock Auction after being vaccinated, dewormed and castrated. Scott castrates rather than bands because he believes it is more humane since the

process is quick and the calves heal up in a week. Not surprisingly, pastures and hay fields are fertilized with turkey litter according to government regulation. The Ramsey land is predominantly Bermuda and Fescue with some white clover. Scott hays 130 acres hoping for three cuttings in a good year, and pastures are sometimes seeded with wheat for nutritious winter

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

grazing. Finally, Scott supplements with mineral and protein licks. Scott said, “Farming has been good to us and helped raise our three children. The truth is farming is more than a living, it’s a lifestyle and you get out of it what you put into it. In 10 years, however, I would like to retire from the poultry industry, increase my herd by another 60 mommas and travel with Michelle.”

meet your neighbors Putting Food Safety First Continued from Page 13 is required to keep 64 different logs and spends long hours inputting data into those logs. Dave said, “The biggest change in the industry in the 25 years I’ve been raising crops is accountability. However, the certified logs are not only mandated but also produce data that can be analyzed for pos-

sible program improvements. In addition, being a certified grower means any surplus produce can be sold anywhere without question.” Chemical use is both necessary and a concern because the line between proper use and toxicity is a fine one. Overuse can kill plants or seep inside the produce making it unfit for safe consumption. To help, University of Arkansas experts

study the labels of products approved for insect and weed control. They focus on ingredients and proportions. Dave inspects the fields every day while University personnel inspect and perform random surface tests weekly. Food safety auditors check to ensure lab analysis for chemical residue inside produce is correctly completed to ensure plants are not contaminated by root absorption.

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Topsoil on the Sargent land ranges from a depth of 6 inches to 4 feet. Dave said, “The soil must be alive with microbes and nutrients concentrated in the top 6 inches. We want more plant, not more roots.” In order to address soil sustainability and maximum production, field low spots are treated before planting. Optimum nutrient concentration is gained by continuously applying fertilizer through a tape irrigation system. Each system covers 20 to 30 acres. Attention to soil sustainability is critical because most harvesting occurs 30 days after seeding when another crop is then sowed. Environmental sustainability is also addressed by recycling the tapes at the end of each growing season. The farm produces several types of squash and green beans. Last year the Sargents used their two greenhouses and tried peppers and okra for the first time. An unusually cool July seriously hampered the okra crop, which will be an experimental crop again this year. Dave selects specific species of plants first by visiting with other farmers about their preferences. Next Dave contacts his extension agent who locates seed outlets and checks for availability while also investigating test results, some of which come from the University. Such information is also passed on to seed companies who depend on the data for information about seed resistance to disease and insects. Finally, Dave goes directly to the seed companies for purchase but has learned through experience never to buy a seed that has not been tested for at least two or three years. Dave said, “The Army taught me if you want to do something, you have to learn how.” Agricultural technology is constantly improving so Dave takes classes from Cornell University in New York to keep up with those changes.” Dave’s sister manipulated the first meeting of the future couple when Pat was trying to sell a used refrigerator. The pairing was a good one. In addition to farming, the Sargents have published over 400 books. The couple has been married for 40 years with four children, four grandchildren and three great grandsons.

MARCH 23, 2015

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Logan Pate Age: 9 Parents: Kenny and Melissa Pate Hometown: Damascus, Ark. 4-H Chapter: Mayflower Arkansas Show Team 4-H Leader: Scott Sewell Experience: Logan Pate went to Nationals in Louisville, Ky. when he was 2 years old. He was hooked and has not stopped competing since. Goats are where it’s at for him. His latest awards include the Faulkner County Fair Reserve Champion for Breed Wether, Faulkner County Best of Show in Dairy and 7th place at the State Fair for Market Wether. He competes in Skillathon, Boer Breeding Stock, Market Wethers and Dairy Breeding Stock. Do you have much competition in your division? “Kind of. Faulkner County is a pretty tough division. But if you work hard and put dedication into it, you pull out a first.” He admitted that although his older brother, Stephen Pate, is not in his division, he considers him the biggest competition. However, at home they work as a team and care for the other’s goats as their own. There might even be a hint of admiration from him for his older brother, who has plenty of wins to his name. In the Future: Logan makes no pretenses. “I want to win more than my older brother.”

Story and Photo By Kathy Kelly

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 23, 2015

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fter getting through the birth of Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, your calves, now we need to look at owns Country Veterinary disease and the baby calf. Normally Service in Farmington, this means scours. We all hate to Ark. To contact Tim go see them with diarrhea and loose to ozarksfn.com and them. The first protection against scours is coclick on ‘Contact Us.’ lostrum intake at birth and the cow having the immunity to pass on to the calf. This means having the cow vaccinated for the common causes: Blackleg, BVD, and maybe E.coli and the viruses. Most common causes of scours in calves are E. coli, rotavirus, coronavirus, cryptosporidium, gut-form Blackleg (enterotoxemia), coccidia and salmonella. We now have tests that can be ran right here in the clinic that can tell you which one of these bugs is causing the scours in your calves. By knowing what is causing the scours, you can treat appropriately with the right drug of choice. Each one takes a

“The first protection against scours is colostrum intake and the cow having the immunity to pass on to the calf.” different treatment. For example, gut-form Blackleg is treated with penicillin. Who would have thought penicillin would treat calf scours, but for this form it is number one. And normally, the next day it is like you flipped the light switch off and they are better. Now with rota and corona viruses, we treat these totally different. These are viruses and until we have the cure for HIV, AIDS and the common cold, we do not have a totally effective treatment. So, most of it is aimed at keeping the calf supported until its own immune system clears the virus. This means keeping secondary bacterial invaders out and hydration with electrolytes. Cryptosporida is an awful bug. We have to treat like a virus and use a special antibiotic that only sometimes works but it is all we have that is legal. Normally, we will have a 6-month slaughter withdrawal on these calves. Now, the famed E. coli. This bug can be resistant to everything we have. And only so many drugs are legal in food animal medicine. Sometimes we have to treat like a virus and support them until we get a culture and sensitivity back to know what antibiotic will work. Basically, what I am saying is it is better to test and know what you are dealing with than just taking a stab in the dark. I no longer give out scour pills; I like having a little more on my side and know what I am dealing with. So, don’t be afraid to run some tests, the cost of the tests may give you better results in the end. MARCH 23, 2015

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Making farming a little easier

Manage Your Fields with Fire By Gary Digiuseppe

Why you should consider using fire as a land management resource and what to do before you start Once the planning is complete, watch for favorable weather. Ideal conditions for “Fire is a natural process,” John Weir, research associate with the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University, burning include a moist soil, humidity of 30-60 percent, a temperature between 45-75 told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “It’s right behind rainfall as being important, because degrees and a wind speed of 10-15 miles per hour, according to Valerie Tate, Univerthere’s nothing that a landowner can do that will impact the land like fire can. It’s sity of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist at Linn County. Tate told OFN, “It’s important to set a backfire so that you have a line to prevent the fire a very important part of that process; it’s important for the native from escaping and you can control it. You set the backfire downwind plant communities, and also for the native wildlife.” Ideal Conditions to keep the fire from moving too rapidly.” To effectively stop the fire Weir is OSU Extension’s prescribed fire expert; he teaches classes in for Burning at the edge of the field, the fire break and the back fire combined it, has published numerous papers on it, and belongs to professional should be 50 feet wide. Smoke from the fire may be a hazard if it is organizations that promote it. “In some regions of the Ozarks range, • Moist Soil blowing across a road or toward a home; a backpack sprayer or an it’s common,” he said. “It’s a process that Native Americans used for • 30-60 percent ATV equipped with a sprayer can be a used to wet areas along the centuries, and very active throughout the Ozarks and the U.S. as well.” humidity backfire and to extinguish wooden fence posts if they begin to burn. Prescribed burns serve to prevent woody plant growths from re• 45-75 degrees F Most of the time the fire is started with something called a drip claiming open areas, reduce understory in forests, or remove actorch, an aluminum torch that holds about 1.5 gallons of a petrocumulated plant material in pastures, opening the canopy so new • Wind Speed of leum based fuel. Weir said, “It uses gravity; you tilt it down, and it’s seedlings can emerge. Weir said some producers burn some of their 10-15 mph got a wick that stays lit.” He encouraged the presence of enough grassland areas every year to increase livestock performance, but a people and equipment to address any problems. The fire burns slowburn every three years provides a good benchmark. Before a burn, he recommended producers draft a fire plan. This includes the goals ly; wildlife has time to evacuate. The backfire will blacken 50-300 feet; then, he said, for the project and the area to be burned and the goals, up to people that just burn “You can ring out the area, and light the rest of it when you’ve got a barrier built up every few years. Help in writing a plan can come from USDA’s Natural Resources with that burned out area to stop and contain the fire. Prescribed burning has become more widespread in recent years. It’s more common Conservation Service, county Extension, or state Departments of Forestry, Wildlife and Conservation. OSU also has an Extension fact sheet on fire plans that includes in the Southern Ozarks than further north; Tate said that’s probably because there are an example of one and a blank one to fill in; it can be found at http://pods.dasnr. more warm season grasses in the South. But Weir said there’s more interest throughout the area. “I work with Prescribed Burn Associations in the region,” he said. “That’s okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2563/E-927websurvey.pdf. The next line of business is to determine what your fire breaks will be. They can be where we get groups of landowners together to assist each other by sharing labor and natural barriers like roads and creeks, or manmade such as dozed or disked lines. The equipment to help each other burn. Those are increasing tremendously.” Ozarks Farm & Neighbor encourages landowners to contact Missouri Department of Confire breaks will help delineate your “burn unit,” the area to be burned, and allow peoservation or the local NRCS office for assistance with writing a burn plan. ple and equipment to get around it, as well as help to contain and control the fire.

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farm help

Improving Egg Production By Klaire Howerton

Tips and tricks to get the most out of your laying hens Chickens have long been an irreplaceable part of the family farming scene. For hundreds of years, chickens have been raised and kept for their ability to lay eggs and to provide meat. Today, most farms have at least a small flock of chickens scratching around the farm yard, and still other farmers make the majority of their living on chickens. Whatever the size of your flock may be, if you have laying hens, chances are that you will want to take each and every opportunity to help your hens improve their egg laying efficiency and production.

gg laying cycles in chickens are governed by the amount of light in the day. For chickens, their production cycle declines when the daylight hours drop below 14 hours. Many egg producers have found that keeping a light on their hen houses and chicken tractors during the winter and artificially extending the hours in the day is an effective way to keep chickens laying and therefore, a profitable enterprise. “We look at our laying hens as a business,” said Dawnell Holmes, owner of Real Farm Foods in Norwood, Mo. “We don’t just have 300 or 400 pet chickens running around. We choose to light our birds through the winter months to help keep our girls laying to keep up with the high demand for local, pastured eggs.”

ood feed conversion ratios are an important part of any livestock enterprise. A chicken requires about 3.5 to 5 pounds of feed to lay a dozen eggs, depending on the nutrient density of the feed. “We also keep a mineral rich, nutrient dense feed in front of the girls,” Holmes said. She noted that this has been essential to both the production of their hens and to marketing their eggs. To get closer to lowering your feed costs, while still meeting your flock’s nutritional needs for efficient egg laying, it is also beneficial to look for alternate and essentially free food sources, such as grass, weed seeds, insects, grubs and even fungi.

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etting plenty of vitamin E will certainly help your flock keep their laying up to par. Lack of vitamin E leads to troublesome and costly problems like cannibalism, feather picking and egg eating, which drastically reduces productivity for folks in the egg business. Having access to some type of pasture setting for hens to scratch and peck in can alleviate this issue – the chickens will pick up vitamin E from microorganisms in the soil.

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uccesses in keeping up your flock’s egg laying efficiency stems from creating a good environment from the start. Keeping diseases and health issues away from your hens, providing them with plenty of space per bird, and giving them opportunities to get outdoors can improve egg productivity immensely – and keep the hens in a good mood as well. “Buy from healthy flocks,” said Jess Lyons, from the Division of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri, “and provide fresh water and a happy environment.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MARCH 23, 2015

farm help

Grass Savings with Grazing Systems

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By Gary Digiuseppe

Four grazing systems that help manage regrowth For many Ozarks cattle pro- fences,” Jennings said. “We only need ducers, their grazing system one single polywire, and we can advance that across the field. Normally, producconsists of no system at all. And that’s not recommended, Dr. John ers like to move the wire about twice a Jennings, University of Arkansas Exten- week. They set that wire so that it allows sion forage agronomist, told Ozarks Farm enough standing forage for their herd for & Neighbor. Continuous grazing doesn’t do about 3-4 days, and when they graze that down they move much to manage the wire ahead to the forage balance allow enough foror forage regrowth. age for another 3-4 He said, “What we 1. Rotational Grazing - Livestock days.” That saves recommend is roare moved frequently to fresh pasture to maximize the quality and a lot of time, he tational grazing, so quantity of forage growth added, compared you can manage reto having to feed growth on the for2. Strip Grazing - Stockpiled forages are grazed in strips hay every day. age and plan differAnother method ent types of forages 3. Leader Follower - Weaned is called leader-folout there, and help calves are turned out to graze the lower, which works manage the quality highest quality forage, once the calves are moved then the cows well for a producer for your livestock.” are turned out who has retained There are shortownership of the term costs to rota4. Creep Grazing - allows nursing calves to graze designated areas, calves after they’re tional grazing, but separate from the cows, where the weaned. Calves are it’s cheaper in the forage quality is higher. Usually fenceline-weaned long run. The fencdone by placing a single wire high from their mothing required can be enough for calves to walk under. ers, and turned permanent or teminto a paddock to porary; permanent fencing costs more, because the producer graze off the top of the forage, the highhas to subdivide the field. Temporary fenc- est quality grass. Then they’re moved out ing with a single electric polywire is less quickly, and the cows are moved in to expensive. But the grass savings, said Jen- clean up what’s left; since the cows just nings, are substantial: “You’ll have forage finished weaning their calves, their nutrilonger into a drought, and you’ll get forage tional needs are relatively low, while the sooner after a drought. You can have for- calves’ are high, and each group is getting age longer into the fall and winter, so you what it needs. Under creep grazing, a single wire divides don’t have to feed as much hay as you do with continuous grazing.” Jennings said in pastures, and the still-nursing cows graze some cases you can run a higher stocking with their calves. Explained Jennings, “We rate; the better regrowth rate means better set the wire high enough, usually about 30 utilization of forage, and less abuse from inches or so, to keep the cows in the padovergrazing and continuous spot grazing.” dock, but the calves are small enough to go A popular alternative is strip grazing, underneath the wire to the next paddock. which in the Ozarks is primarily used to So they’re actually grazing the top part of graze stockpiled forages after the grass the next paddock, which is high quality forhas stopped growing for the fall. “Be— Continued on Page 29 cause it’s not growing, we don’t need two

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Are Egg Regulations Costing You? By Gary Digiuseppe

How will California’s new chicken cage size regulations affect egg production in the Ozarks?

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In January, the price of eggs exploded in California. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) says in October, the price of eggs in Southern California was 12 cents above the price in New York City; by early January, the spread had widened to $1. ERS said the likely reason was California’s chicken cage size regulations, which took effect at the start of this year. Adopted by voters in 2008, it was amended in 2010 by the state legislature so the requirement would cover all eggs sold in California, including those brought in from other states. Although California is the fifth biggest egg producing state with 5.5 billion as of 2012, it is an egg-deficit state and needs to bring eggs in from other states. Some agricultural interests in other states resented California imposing the cage size requirements on their own producers. In late 2013, the House amended its Farm Bill to prohibit states from imposing production standards on farm products from other states, but during the conference with the Senate the amendment was removed. That was followed by a lawsuit led by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and his counterparts in five other states, but it was dismissed last October by a federal judge who ruled the states did not have legal standing to challenge the requirement. There is not a specified cage size in the law; it states hens must have enough space to turn around freely, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. “Our concern is that other states will start requiring the same cage restrictions,” said Bruce Tencleve, assistant director of commodity activities and regulatory affairs for Arkansas Farm Bureau. He told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor the animal welfare organizations pushing for the cage restrictions “have been investigating to see what the pulse is in other states” but not, to his knowledge,

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

in Arkansas, which is a relatively small egg producing state with 3 billion a year. Arkansas then-Attorney General Dustin McDaniel declined to join the lawsuit, explaining that Arkansas was already in compliance with the California law. Tencleve said the lone Arkansas company that ships to California “meets those standards or requirements already, so they really weren’t affected.” He doesn’t expect a mass movement nationally toward California’s standards and said, “There are so many people right now who when they go to the grocery store are looking at what they can get at the lowest cost; when you do a survey, people say, ‘I want everything done right,” but the bottom line is people buy what’s cheapest if it’s the same product.” “There are producers in Missouri that will act quickly to meet the requirements and they will see some benefit,” predicted Blake Hurst, president of Missouri Farm Bureau. As of 2012, Missouri produced about 2.0 billion eggs a year. “Several Missouri producers have attempted to meet the new requirements, so I presume that they are selling into California,” he told OFN. “I know California actually has inspectors that will tour your facility. That hits me wrong, that in order to sell into one of the other 50 states, we have to be inspected by that state.” Hurst, who farms in the northwest corner of the state in Atchison County, said similar restrictions could be imposed by other states; he said, “We haul part of our grain to Iowa, and part of our grain to Missouri; I won’t be very happy if we have to have an inspector come out and check every truckload before we can go across the line, 5 miles from my house.” He said a bill was introduced in the Missouri legislature that would have required — Continued on Next Page MARCH 23, 2015

farm help Are Egg Regulations Costing You? Continued from Previous Page all sellers of wine in the state to comply with the federal Social Security number matching system E-Verify, and offer assurance their employees were qualified to work in the United States. “That’s obviously aimed directly at California; I think it was introduced to make a point, but the point is a very good one.” Hurst predicted the evolution of a twopriced market – eggs that can get into California, and those that can’t. “Missouri

Grass Savings with Grazing Systems Continued from Page 27 age, while the cows are continuing to graze where they’re at, and the calves can still come back under that wire to their mothers.” The calves then learn how to graze while all the cattle are contained together. Tim Schnakenberg, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, told OFN, University research has found a grazing system with 8-12 paddocks tends to be the most efficient in terms of both managing grass and distributing manure. However, he said many producers maintain paddocks that may be a little too big, 15-20 acres per field. He said, “The biggest issue that I see is getting a sufficient number of paddocks, and then opening and closing gates accordingly to where you’re not leaving cattle in the field too long. The key is to have rest periods where that grass can grow back and

producers who do not meet those requirements are going to see a surplus of eggs,” he said. “As will the rest of the country, at the same time California has a shortage as evidenced by the increase in the prices there. That’s what will happen until the market stabilizes.” He also believes the litigation will continue, as will the attempts in Washington to reverse California’s rule. “Individual producers may see this as a market niche that can benefit them, but as somebody that’s trying to represent all agricultural producers – not only egg producers, but other commodity producers as well – we see it as a real danger,” Hurst said.

regrow, thicken up and keep weeds under control better, and then get the cattle moving on to better quality fields later. If you have enough of those fields, they can move around throughout the farm and give time for the first paddock to regrow so it will be ready for the next go-around.” There’s also a seasonal issue. Schnakenberg said 10-20 percent of the paddocks should have some warm season grass in them, so they can hold cattle during the summer months when cool season grasses like fescue are going dormant. He said, “Research has shown that you only get 30 percent utilization of the grass if you gave them the whole farm, never closed any gates and they just roam about freely. If you start having around 8-12 paddocks, we can get that number upwards to 6070 percent utilization, so you can almost double the amount of grass that you can grow and provide for the animals by having a grazing system set up.”

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March 2015 23 Pesticide Collection Event – Sharp County Road Department, Ash Flat, Ark. – 870-895-3301 24 Beef Carcass Auction – Delaware County Fairgrounds, Jay, Okla. – 918-253-4332 25 Pesticide Collection – Cleburne County Livestock Auction, Heber Springs, Ark. – 501-362-2524 28 4-H 5K Run – Mulberry, Ark. – 479-474-5286 April 2015 2 Spring Forage Tune-Up 2015 – 3:00-6:00 p.m. – Decatur Livestock Auction, Decatur, Ark. – 479-271-1060 2 Pesticide Applicator Training – 9:00 a.m. – Newton County Extension Center, Jasper, Ark. – 870-446-2240 2 Livestock Buyer’s Appreciation Dinner – 6:30 p.m. – Community Building, Tahlequah, Okla. – 918-456-6163

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7 Horse Owners Workshop – 6:00 p.m. – Speakers: Buck Pendergraft, Purina Animal Nutrition, Dr. Mark Russell, University of Arkansas and Blair Griffin, Johnson County Extension Center – Free Burgers Provided – Johnson County Fair Building, Clarksville, Ark. – 479-754-3072 10 Eastern Oklahoma Beef Cattle Summit – 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. – South East Oklahoma Expo Center, McAlester, Okla. – registration due by April 3rd – 918-423-4120 11 Franklin County Master Gardeners Plant Sale – 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – Extension Office, Ozark, Ark. – 479-667-3720 11 Northwest Arkansas District Junior Spring Livestock & Poultry Show – Washington County Fairgrounds, Fayetteville, Ark – 479-444-1755 13 Pesticide Applicator Training – 1:30 p.m. – Fairgrounds, Harrison, Ark. – 870-741-6168

auction block

March 2015 23 Luddington Cattle Company Total Package Bull Sale – Freedom, Okla. – 580-327-7127 24 GENETRUST Brangus/Angus Sale at Suhn Cattle Co. – Eureka, Kan. – 620-583-3706 26 Sweiger Farms Production Sale – Weatherby, Mo. – 816-449-5640 26 Mushrush Red Angus Sale – Strong City, Kan. – 620-273-8581 28 Oklahoma Gelbvieh Association 24th Annual Sooner Select Sale – McAlester Union Stockyards, McAlester, Okla. – 405-742-0774 28 Professional Beef Genetics Top of the Breed Sale – Windsor Livestock Auction, Clinton, Mo. – 1-888-PBG-BULL 28 Maplewood Acres Spring Sale – Sedalia, Mo. – 660-826-1880 28 Seedstock Plus South Missouri Bull Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards, Joplin, Mo. – 877-486-1160 28 Belle Point Ranch Production Sale – Lavaca, Ark. – 479-782-3511 30 Southwest Missouri Performance Tested Bull Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 417-345-8330 April 2015 4 Satterfield Charolais & Angus 4th Annual Bull & Female Sale – at the farm, Evening Shade, Ark. – 785-672-3195 4 Four State Angus Association Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 417-451-6981 4 The Andras Stock Kind Red Angus Bull Sale – at the farm, Manchester, Ill. – 217-473-2355 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

4 Circle S Ranch 8th Annual Going To Grass Production Sale – Canton, Kan. – 620-628-4621 4 The Gathering Sale at Shoal Creek Simmental – Excelsior Springs, Mo. – 816-336-4200 4 Show-Me Classic Hereford Production Sale – Roth Hereford Farms, Windsor, Mo. – 660-527-3507 6 Brockmere Farms Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale – New Cambria Livestock Auction, New Cambria, Mo. – 660-375-2155 6 Green Garden Angus 56th Annual Sale – Ellsworth, Kan. – 785-472-3752 7 Hubert Charolais Ranch 36th Annual Bull & Female Sale – at the ranch, Monument, Kan. – 816-766-3512 9 Connors State College Bull Test Sale – Warner, Okla. – 918-441-3433 9 Sounderup Charolais 33rd Annual Bull Sale – Fullerton, Neb. – 308-550-0254 9 Wright Charolais Annual Online Embryo Sale – 816-766-3512 9 Pharo Cattle Company 3rd Annual Fescue-Country Angus, Red Angus & Polled Hereford Bull Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 800-311-0995 11 Renaissance XXlll Charolais Sale – Chappell’s Sale Arena, Strafford, Mo. – 870-897-5037 11 Ozark & Heart of America Beefmaster Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 918-316-6710 14 Sydenstricker Genetics Influence Sale – Mexico, Mo. – 573-581-5555 15-16 Dismukes Ranch Spring on-line Sale – at the ranch, Checotah, Okla. – 916-995-3549 18 Missouri Red Angus Association Round up Auction – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 417-962-0281 MARCH 23, 2015

Angus

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

Balancers

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504

Brangus

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

Charolais

Livestock - Cattle

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Sim Angus

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504 Lazy U Ranch - Haskell, Okla. - 918-693-9420

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4/13/15

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Buckles and Banners Sale

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Balancer & Angus - Gelbvieh Call Bob Able

Registered Highland Cattle Heartland Highland Cattle Assoc. 976 State Hwy. 64 • Tunas, MO 65764 heartlandhighlandcattle@gmail.com www.heartlandhighlandcattleassociation.org www.highlandcattleauction.com 417-345-0575 • 417-369-0505

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Herefords

Livestock - Cattle

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Gelbvieh

Allen Moss Herefords - Vici, Okla. - 580-9224911 - 580-334-7842 mossherefords.com Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 – www. rosebudfeeders.com

Livestock - Cattle CHAROLAIS, SIMMENTAL & RED ANGUS BULLS Greg Hudspeth • St. Joe, Ark.

www.work-your-cows.com

Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 – www. rosebudfeeders.com Triple D Farms Mountain Home, Ark. – 870-481-5603

Livestock - Cattle

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Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory

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College of the Ozarks

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