Ofn dummy 4 4 16

Breeding for Uniformity APRIL 4, 2016 • 32 PAGES

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 3 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

Bob Dickson says Salers is the breed that works best for him

APRIL 4, 2016

Farming Efficienc Producty & ion Sale Issu e

Developing Premium Cattle

The Kirkes family has carved out a registered Angus operation in rural Oklahoma

A True Cowboy

Tom Cone has been a full-time cowboy since he got his first job in 1965

Be Rabies Aware Agitation in farm animals could be a sign of the disease

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

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rumor mill

New FCS offices: Farm Credit of Western Arkansas has announced the opening of a new location in Tontitown, Ark., and the ground breaking for new offices in Huntsville and Prairie Grove, Ark. The former Fayetteville office has closed and the three full-time locations will take its place.

Young rancher honored: Zachary Ilbery of Checotuh, Okla., has been named as a Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives Honorees. He has been named among the top new farmers in the nation for Beginning Farmer or Rancher Achievement. The high school student started running his own cattle operation two years ago at age 15; he now manages a 150-head herd. Zachary focuses 90 percent of his time on developing and growing his herd. The rest of his time is dedicated to advocating for agricultural production and food systems, specifically in Indian Country. He also has an active voice among his community as the high school FFA Chapter president.

Arkansas counties eligible for disaster aid: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that producers in 37 counties in Arkansas are eligible for disaster aid if they lost crops to rain and flooding between Nov. 1 and Jan. 12. Counties in the Ozarks that are considered primary disaster areas are Cleburne, Faulkner, Perry, Stone, Conway, Izard, Pope, Sebastian and Yell. Farmers have eight months from March 2, 2016 to apply for loans to help cover part of their losses.

Water quality funds available: USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. Funding is available through NRCS’s innovative Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and applicants must be able to match the federal award with private or local funds.

Winners announced: Ozarks Farm & Neighbor has announced the winners of our Case IH Planners & Cultivators book at the 2016 Ozark Spring Roundup, which was held March 17-20 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Mo. Due to the high number of entries, OFN decided to giveaway two copies instead of just one. The winners are Adam Braithwait of Richland, Mo., and James Myatt of Harrison, Ark. For another chance to win a copy of the children’s book, like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

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Know a Good Rumor? Do you have a rumor you would like to share with our readers? Mail them to: PO Box 6, Prairie Grove, AR 72753; fax them to: 417-532-4721; or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com

The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper

APRIL 4, 2016

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VOL. 10, NO. 3

JUST A THOUGHT

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3 4 5

Jerry Crownover – Driving cattle Jody Harris – Roughing it in the wild Julie Turner-Crawford – The never-ending story

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

7 The Kirkes family carved out a registered Angus operation in Oklahoma

8 12

8 10

Tom Cone: Full-time cowboy since 1965

12

Eye on Agribusiness features Varner Horseshoeing

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Bob Dickson says Salers cattle fit the bill for his operation

Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society showcases Arkansas’ past

15

Town & Country spotlights Bobby & Angie Richesin

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Heifer International’s roots can be found in the Ozarks

20 22

A man with many enterprises Youth in Ag features Drew Lair

FARM HELP 23 To buy or not to buy?

24 Tips for picking replacement heifers 25 Be rabies aware this spring 26 Conservation plans can help producers save, make money

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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Composting can help improve soil health

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Do drones have a place in the livestock industry?

APRIL 4, 2016

just a

thought

PO Box 6, Prairie Grove, AR 72753

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What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?

Sandra Coffman

Life Is Simple

e f i L elpmiS si

y neighbor backgrounds several revonworC yrreJ yB hundred calves each year. While most of his young stock are beef calves, he almost always has a Jerry Crownover is couple hundred head of Holstein a farmer and former heifers on hand for the dairy industry. For the professor of Agriculture past couple of months, Jarrod has had about 60 Education at Missouri head of small heifers (250 to 300 pounds) across State University. He is a the road from one of my farms. native of Baxter County, Last week, as I topped the hill going to that farm, I Arkansas, and an saw six of his black-and-white heifers on the county author and professional road that divides our properties. They were about speaker. To contact Jerry, 20 yards from an open gate that led into Jarrod’s go to ozarksfn.com and field. Assuming that he had been in his usual hurry click on ‘Contact Us.’ and absent-mindedly forgot to shut it, I stopped my truck and started heading them back toward their home – and that was no easy task, because the more I started yelling and flapping my arms, the more they came toward me.

Eventually, I did get them turned and all six began walking toward the gate, and then right past the gate, to start grazing in the front yard of the farmhouse on my property.

As I got around them and began trying to get them out of the yard and back toward the open gate, I noticed that the heifers that remained in the field were slowly heading toward the gate as well. Hurriedly, and out of breath, once again I got them started toward the gate that they had already passed, gaining three more heifers to their ranks, as they walked by it for the second time. With the remaining 50 or so heifers gathered directly by the open gate, and ready to join the posse, I proceeded to try and scare the big bunch farther back into their field. They simply stared at me as if they were a bunch of kids and I was handing out free candy.

Unable to drive them away from the opening, I closed that gate and walked back up the road to a second gate on Jarrod’s property – my theory being that the ones — Continued on Page 6

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About the Cover Bob Dickson looks for uniformity when selecting cattle, and has found the Saler breed to be the best for his cattle operation. For more on this story, see page 13.

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., 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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weather got warmer to camp “for real.”

I still find my husband quite adorable. When he came to me last weekend and asked if we could find a spot in the woods to tent-camp overnight, it was hard to say no. He was more excited than the kids!

By Jody Harris The goal was to keep it simple and only pack the minimum needed omewhere along my journey through social media I ran to survive the woods overnight in a tent. The day-weather has been across a statistic stating, “happy, well-adjusted adults spring-like and warm, but the temperatures drop in the evenings. went camping as children.”

My husband’s excitement about camping was contagious. He told According to Wikipedia, camping describes a range of a couple of neighbors what our plans were. They decided to come activities and approaches to outdoor accommodation. along for the adventure. The dads went to the site and set up the Jody Harris is a freelance Survivalist campers pack minimal supplies to live, while RV (rectents. My friend and fellow supermom, Caitlyn, directed the kids communications specialist, reational vehicle) travelers bring a house on wheels supplying its to build a fire circle with large rocks. She then helped them gather gardener, ranch wife and own electricity, heat/air conditioning and comfortable beds. wood and proceeded to build an amazing campfire. I quickly grilled mother of four. She and Our family traditionally RV camps to the White River near Cothot dogs, brats and baked beans and headed to the site. her family raise Angus beef ter, Ark., over Memorial Day. We spend at least two days packing cattle and other critters on The kids loved the fire and enjoyed eating in the great outdoors. The their northwest Arkansas our bumper pull camper to the maximum weight capacity with kids went star gazing and told ghost stories until it was time to settle in ranch. She is a graduate everything we MIGHT need for our long weekend at the river. for the night. I still wasn’t convinced I’d stay overnight in the tent but of Missouri State University.

We can’t leave without survivalist supplies such as s’more ingresomehow when trying to get the kids to sleep I fell asleep too. I woke up To contact Jody, go to dients and cold adult beverages. Days at the river are spent trout at 3:30 a.m. to the growling sound of our blue heeler. She was likely scarozarksfn.com and click on fishing and cooking on the grill when we get back to the camping coyotes away. I was cold, sore and nervous. My husband was awake ‘Contact Us.’ ground. All of this has seemed “doable” to me. At the end of the too. There was a loud snoring sound close by. I thought it was one of the day I get to fall asleep in a comfortable bed after a warm shower. kids. We quickly figured out it was our neighbor in the tent next door.

My husband (also known as my fifth child) recently purchased a tent at a sporting We were dying laughing and yelling at him to roll over and be quiet. We finally woke up goods store. During our children’s winter break, he set it up in the playroom. The kids around 6:30 a.m. We’d survived. I’m committed to teaching our children how to enjoy packed it full of sleeping bags, books and stuffed animals to camp during their week creation and surviving with minimal material things. If you want to camp with us, bring a off school. They were all smitten with the idea of taking the tent outside when the tent... and maybe an air mattress this time, neighbor.

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ometimes you just have to laugh at folks who claim to know what they are talking, or writing, about.

A co-worker recently sent me a link Julie Turner-Crawford to a website where an article was callis a native of Dallas ing for people to stop consuming dairy products, County, Mo., where she specifically milk. Why? Because it isn’t “natural,” grew up on her family’s and it contains a “high percentage of pus.” farm. She is a graduate Here are a couple more of the laughable, and of Missouri State incorrect, statements from the article: University. To contact “What’s even weirder is that we drink a difJulie, call 1-866-532-1960 ferent animal’s milk. Do we see cats drinking a or by email at editor@ goat’s milk? No. Kittens (and all other animals) ozarksfn.com. only drink their own milk.”

This writer has apparently never raised kittens, or any other animal. Lambs, pigs, calves and other animals flourish on goat’s milk.

Milk from other species has also been known to raise orphaned colts.

“Cows milk isn’t meant for humans: A cow’s milk is perfectly fit to turn a newborn calf into a 400-pound cow in just one year. For a human, cow’s milk contains an abundant amount of pointless fat, cholesterol and calories. All of this creates a huge imbalance in the human body.”

First, if a cow raises a calf for a whole year and it only weighs 400 pounds as a yearling, I think it is time to cull the cow, don’t you agree?

Despite countless studies that show that milk has tremendous nutritional value for people of all ages, opponents of the dairy industry continue to claim that milk and other dairy products are unhealthy, even dangerous.

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just a thought Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page Other things I have read as of late continue to tell the same old story about the evils of dairy products, and the “studies” they quote as fact are often generated by anti-agriculture organizations. Reliable research is often overlooked because there is no “wow” or “gotcha” factor.

According to information from the International Dairy Foods Association, although milk from the cow is processed, it is not an engineered or fabricated food. Milk has been called “nature’s most nearly perfect food.”

When it comes down to it, most the negative information spread is nothing more than tall tales meant to spread fear among consumers.

Speaking of tall tales, according to the BBC, Holland has some of the tallest

people in the world. Why? Because they like their milk.

The average Dutchman consumes 25 percent more milk than the average American. In the mid-1800s, the average height of men from Denmark was only 5 feet, 4 inches, but once milk consumption grew, so did the average height. The average today is more than 6 feet. Researchers in Denmark also studied the dairy consumption of pregnant women and how it affected the growth of children. Women who consumed the most milk had the tallest children.

Just more proof that milk does a body good.

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 who hadn’t gotten out, yet, would stay at the first gate while I would get on the other side of the (now) nine heifers and run them back to the newly opened gate.

Bad theory. Three more heifers found the new opening and trotted down the road to meet up with the others that were out. At this rate, I figured that all 60 would be out in a few more passes.

All of a sudden, I saw Jarrod coming through the field in his truck (he had been on the back side of his place all the time), in the direction of the gate that was originally open. He reopened it, parked his truck across the width of the road and acted as a header, enabling the two of us to finally get them back where they belonged. He thanked me for my

6

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

help, and I continued with my chores.

As I continued feeding my beef cattle the rest of that morning, I began to ponder the differences in dispositions between beef cattle (most usually raised by their mother in wide-open spaces with minimal human involvement) and dairy cattle (almost all being raised on the bottle with close human interaction daily). The ways that each of the two types of cattle react to humans is almost completely opposite and I should have remembered that since I’ve raised many bottle calves throughout my lifetime.

I had forgotten the adage that you can lead a Holstein to water... or feed... or a hole in the fence... or an open gate, but you can’t drive one anywhere.

APRIL 4, 2016

meet your

neighbors

Developing Premium Cattle

By Terry Ropp

The Kirkes family has carved out an registered Angus operation in rural Oklahoma In 1973, math teacher Don Kirkes gave in to the itch for land and purchased an acreage abandoned for 30 years at the dead end of a road near Talahina, Okla., outside a small town called Albion. Access on three sides was limited by mountains and the Kiamichi River.

“It was a jungle, covered with timber and green briars,” Don recalled.

Clearing the land for cattle was a huge undertaking that led to an early retire-

uated from high school and they bought a registered bred heifer. They like the breed because of its docility and choose bull semen with excellent EPDs focusing on the “dollar beef EPD,” because it summarizes all the traits they are looking for: exceptional carcass with low birth weight.

The herd is bred only by AI and embryo transplant with no cleanup bulls, using their own commercial Angus mommas as receipts. Brian is a certified technician and performs the AI while

Don Kirkes, right, along with his son, Brian, operate Kirkes Black Angus Ranch.

Also pictured are Brian’s wife, Hailey, and son Jennings.

Photo by Terry Ropp

ment from teaching. Today on the Kirkes Black Angus Ranch, he and his son Brian run cattle on 800 acres of cleared for pasture, with 500 acres left natural.

“The physical remoteness is a health benefit for our herd because there are naturally isolated from other cattle,” Brian said.

Don began with a commercial herd but started tinkering with the idea of switching to registered Angus breeding stock when his son gradAPRIL 4, 2016

Dr. Dan Miller and Todd Whitesell from Texas handle the ET process.

“The Angus are good mommas with ample milk production, but equally important is a reproductive tract that is easy to work with and provides high fertility rates,” Brian said.

As part of their management pracAlbion, Okla. tice, they validate and maintain accuracy of the EPD

profiles by collecting birth weights, weaning weights and yearling weights and heights, in addition to scrotal circumference for the bulls. They use ultrasound for marbling and the size of the ribeye and calculate the rib and rump fat.

Another management practice is to run a DNA profile on every registered calf.

The test identifies genes responsible for genetic traits with the data entered into the American Angus database. Even more importantly, the test confirms parentage, which is critical if cows happen to switch calves because they gave birth at the same time. Further, customers know they are getting the exact genetics they are paying for. The ranch boasts the dam of the Lot 1 bull for the April 2016 Gardiner Angus Sale and is home of K BAR Progress 2972, the top marbling dam in the Angus breed.

Brian and Don strive to sell productive animals and guarantee a sound breeder for one year after the sale.

“The guarantee makes a difference and increases demand for our product because many breeders don’t provide a guarantee,” Brian explained. “This means we raise our purebred animals like commercial stock so they are used to the natural environment and will perform well in it.

Our animals are neither over-pampered or fluffed, nor fattened on feed that may not be available when purchased.”

Proof of the effectiveness of the program is that Kirkes Black Angus Ranch had the highest average dollar Beef Epd ($144) in the nation on their 2015 production sale bulls by breeding a balanced EPD profile with calving ease and above breed average growth and carcass traits in an acceptable phenotype.

This year marked the 10th annual production sale, which is held at the ranch in October. They sell 60 to 75 females a year and market 100 bulls annually to buyers from across the country, though most sales are to buyers in the four-state region.

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A True Cowboy

By Katrina Hine Don’t forget, mention the Code Word KUBOTA and get a Free Hat with your Equipment Purchase!

Tom Cone has been a full-time cowboy since he got his first job in 1965 Some people measure their life by the money they earn, acres they farm or number of livestock they own. Nevertheless, for one cowboy nothing compares to what seven decades have taught him and what he hopes to pass on to others.

Tom Cone always wanted to be a cowboy.

“I been cowboy’n since I got my first cowboy job in 1965 for $75 a month and I was glad to get it,” Tom said reflecting on his youth. “My Dad was the smartest man I ever knew. He grew up on a farm but decided to get a law degree and end-

Tom Cone saddles Molly, a 22-year-old mule for a reigning demo while one of his young colts looks on. Tom’s other mule, 33-year-old Blue Duck, is a staple at his Jay, Okla., cattle operation.

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Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. 0% A.P.R. and low-rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 6/30/2016.

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ed up doing abstract work. Dad didn’t think cowboy’n was a good occupation.

He always wanted us kids to be something bigger, like a lawyer or doctor.”

The cowboy life is hard work but he enjoys what he does. One of the ranches he worked for, Scharbauer Cattle Company, owned 300,050 acres.

Later he went to Sul Ross University in Alpine, Texas to get a degree in ag business. He managed a

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

couple places until a horse rolled over him, injuring his back in 1972; he then went to work for the New Mexico Livestock Brand Board. But it wasn’t long before he was back in the saddle at a livestock auction.

On 4th of July vacations, he’d visit his aunt and her husband in Powell, Mo. The grass was green and there was running water, it was paradise.

Growing up on the high plains of New Mexico, he was accustomed to little rain and hot dry summers.

“I don’t miss the windmills, but I do miss seeing the horizon in every direc-

Photo by Katrina Hine

tion and the grass isn’t as strong here as on the high plains,” Tom admits.

“When we bought these 460 acres in 1976, the owner summered only 75 head on it without any cross fences. But now I run about 350 head across my property and it is cross-fenced so I can move cattle myself,” Tom said. “Instead of being in the cow business, now I’m in Jay, Okla. the grass business.”

He admits he had preconceived notions about Oklahoma. It took 20 years to get the right cross for his APRIL 4, 2016

meet your neighbors cattle, favoring Brahma/Hereford cross- the importance of faith. He admits he wores. Brahma because they are hardy and ried a couple of weeks but then just turned have longevity in calving and Herefords it over to God. for their milk capacity. The combina“We all have our trials and tribulations, tion is more resistant to the humid sum- you just play the hand you’re dealt. I’m mer heat and parasites. He points to one not going to blame God because I have 17-year-old crossbred cow that is still been blessed,” Tom said. dropping good calves.

He is taking alternative treatments The biggest issue is prolapse. This calv- rather than chemo. ing season Tom has sewn up 10 to 12 cows.

His purpose is to use life’s lessons and “I sew up the ones I can and take ‘em pass that on to the young people he ento the vet if I can’t,” he adds. counters. He figures he has had nearly 40 What he misses most about the west is kids work for him over the last 40 years. the camaraderie of true cowboys.

“A person can go through life without “A true cowboy has manners, respects someone investing in them but it takes women and appreciates what he works just one to make a difference. I hope I for,” he said. have been that one person for those Having Depression era parents im- kids,” Tom said. planted work ethic and gratitude for Maddie Yarrington arrives at the what he had. ranch. Tom smiles when he sees her and “Today so many it is easy to see that people feel entitled he thinks a lot of the to everything. When Dad didn’t think young lady.

I was a kid the only “I admire girls that cowboy’n was a thing we were enaren’t afraid to work good occupation. hard. Maddie helps titled to was food and a whipp’n,” Tom said me work cattle, she He always with a chuckle. drives the tractor and wanted us kids to hauls hay,” Tom adds.

He added that few people understand the “But even if they are be something commitment farming working in a man’s bigger, like a and ranching requires. world they still need “If people made a lawyer or doctor.” to act like a lady.” comparison to the The two tease back – Tom Cone hours a rancher puts and forth about how in to a 40 hour work difficult he is to work week, I could’ve retired at age 35.” with but it is clear there is mutual respect Tom also prefers mules over horses. between them.

“People don’t like mules because they “I hope that I have taught the kids to tend to be smarter than their rider,” he use their heads, have common sense, not states grinning. His longtime fixtures are be afraid of hard work and be satisfied a 33-year old jack named Blue Duck, and with what they do,” he adds.

22-year-old Molly. He calls up Molly to “We all want to know we have accomprovide a demonstration of her abilities. plished something in our life. All my life “When I got her, she was broke but I thought I did it all myself but as I look then I trained her,” Tom said. back I realize that there was one set of The difference is evident as age and footprints,” Tom said. “The Lord had a stiff joints fade away when the two do purpose for my cowboy’n all these years.” their dance as Molly spins, foot planted For Tom, he’ll take Molly for a spin like a pro, neither seems to tire, as they once in a while and if the Lord allows, enjoy what they can do together. he will continue teaching ole’ fashion He admits that life throws challenges you cowboy values to every young person do not expect. that comes through the gate.

Four years ago, Tom was diagnosed with The Cones have three grown sons and a rare type of lymphoma. He and wife Sue 15 grandchildren who live around the agree that the challenges have taught them country.

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9

ozarks

roots

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

Shirley Pyron and her husband Jewell, pictured in the far right photo, have ties to the early days of Carroll County, Ark.

One of the First

By Terry Ropp

Arkansas history is showcased by one of the oldest historical organizations in the state The Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society, one of the first in Arkansas, organized 61 years ago in 1955.

It was founded by a group of interested citizens led by newspaper editor Klute Braswell and county school supervisor Coy Logan. Its mission was and is to record and preserve local heritage, including historical objects and archival materials such as family histories, pictures and records.

Materials span from the Dalton culture around 9000 BC through the mid-20th century. One especially memorable piece is an English clock made in 1675s, at a time when clocks were always made by blacksmiths who made the cabinets as well as the working mechanisms. Another is clothing worn by Carrie Nation, a radical member of the temperance movement, an old funeral parlor and ladder used by a gravedigger.

The old Carroll County Courthouse, now the Heritage Center, houses the Society’s research library and Pioneer Museum. It was built in 1880 with a third floor and towers added in 1905. The courtroom then moved to the third floor but the county vacated the building in 1975 for space and safety reasons. At this time the historical society obtained a 99-year lease on the building and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places,

10

as well as the society receiving 501(c)(3) private non-profit status.

One early courthouse story is about a troublesome teenager named Floyd Eddings who was locked in a cell for the night in the 1870s. He died that night when the jail burned down. The youngster thought if he started a fire that caused enough damage, he would be allowed to go home. He seriously miscalculated because the jailer lived out of town and had the keys. When someone sped on horseback to the jailer’s house to tell him of the problem, the jailer chose to walk back to town. By the time he arrived, the jail was gone and so was the boy, causing some lower-level courthouse rooms to be converted to cells. The county wanted to prevent this from happening again and rebuilt the jail with the jailer’s residence above where his wife cooked meals for prisoners.

Shirley Pyron, a past president of the Carroll County Historical and Genealogical Society and current editor of the Carroll County Historical Quarterly, and her husband Jewel have ties to the early days of the area.

One of Shirley’s ancestors was sheriff even before statehood and subsequently killed in 1850 while serving as a judge.

Another of her lateral ancestors, Bradley Bunch, was Carroll County’s first historian, a judge and eventually a state

Senator who helped draft and ratify the Arkansas Constitution.

“Bradley’s 1876 history is still available and sometimes used as primary source material in historical research,” Shirley said. Jewell is a board director whose lateral ancestors made and fired the bricks used to build the original courthouse and still enclose the structure.

One of the special finds during restoration was discovering that under old, chipped and crumbling slate tile and other layers was the original hardwood floor now refurbished to gleaming, pristine condition. Discovering the floor, however, caused a problem.

“That old floor was so far below entrylevel that the doorways had to be redone,” Shirley said.

The pressed tin ceiling on the third floor was in poor condition but also expertly refurbished by Jim King, an archival preservationist.

The Pioneer Museum has been divided into themed rooms, including a Civil War room, two bedrooms reflecting the differences between blue-collar and affluent living in the 1800s, and a train room housing the treasured orphan train artifacts.

From 1850s until 1920s, immigrant children roamed the streets of Eastern cities while their parents worked. Others orphaned. Overwhelming numbers gave

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

birth to the Orphan Train.

Children were rounded up, without regard to whether their parents were alive or not, and hustled on a train heading to the nation’s heartland. The train stopped in many towns such as Berryville, Ark., as it headed west to search for homes for the children. In Berryville, the children were cleaned up, fed and taken to the local opera house where they were paraded out to be placed.

Farmers frequently sought farm help, housewives household help, and childless couples a new member for the family.

Brothers and sisters were split up without regard, and any who were not selected went back on the train and to another town.

One of those orphans, Tobe Wilson, was placed with a family in Green Forest, Ark., and years later, donated his personal HO model train collection to the museum to reflect the times. He was one of those whose father was alive when he was taken.

This society sponsors as many as a dozen school tours annually. Students, up to 100 at a time, learn how to research in the records room, how to interview as part of a school project and the breadth and depth of the history of Carroll County, Ark. Society funds come from donations, membership including four issues of the Historical Quarterly, fundraising events and nominal entrance fees.

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Varner Horseshoeing Story and Photo By Terry Ropp

Owners: Mark and Debbie Varner Location: Tontitown, Ark. History: Mark Varner retired for manufacturing in 2002 and married Debbie in 2003. In 2005, he went to horseshoeing school at Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, Ark., for a six-week program.

“Then I worked with master farrier Ken Fortenbaugh in Missouri and learned the dayto-day things you don’t learn in school, such as corrective horseshoeing,” he recalled. “I worked for him on and off for a year while I also worked at the family feed store and café in Gentry (Ark.), while I built up enough business to go full-time in 2006.”

Because of the high demand for knowledgeable and professional farriers who can meet unexpected needs, Mark was able to start on on his own far sooner than he expected.

“I work seven days a week, and the last two years with my wife, Debbie. I call her the donkey master of Madison County because she successfully wrestled one so I could shoe it.”

Products and Services: Mark typically sees his regular clients every six to eight weeks, but also has to schedule in others.

“We offer both iron and aluminum horseshoes,” Mark said. “We carry pony sizes through draft horse sizes with most horses needing size 00-2. Many prefer the lighter weight aluminum shoe with more give when making contact with the ground, especially those in barrel racing who believe the shoes help cut their time. Most shoeing is done without a forge though I do hot shoe when customers need certain shoes built. The process involves first trimming and leveling each hoof before securing the shoe. Foundered horses are the most difficult and take the most amount of time.”

Philosophy and future: Mark’s philosophy is simple when it comes to shoeing.

“I make the horse comfortable so the owner is happy and I get paid,” he said. “Horse people are always looking for something new but come back to us because our horseshoes promote longevity and foot health. Our customers are as much friends as customers, and we help whenever and however we are needed. The beauty is that it’s a two-way street.”

12

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

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Bob Dickson says he doesn’t believe in ‘chasing the market’ Bob and Elisa Dickson live tucked away in a corner of Crooked Kreek Community near Harrison, Ark., on 400 acres with another 200 leased where they raise purebred Salers cattle.

Bob bought his first 217 acres in 1981 while working in management for Mass Merchandisers in Harrison, Ark. One Saturday morning, while driving to work, Bob saw a man putting up a for

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“I simply didn’t have time to deal with 500-pound calves carrying gates around their necks when we tried to work with them,” Bob said. “I always have a long ‘to do’ list and try to never waste time.

I can immediately switch tasks when something interferes because instantaneous reprioritizing is critical to success on the farm and in the business world.”

When Salers came to the United States in the 1980s from the Pyrenees Moun-

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sale sign on a severely overgrown acre- tains of Southern France via Canada, age and bought the property later that they were a sturdy breed with excellent day. He then sold half to a Texan for calving ease and maternal traits that apas much as he paid for the whole acre- pealed to Bob. Disposition was the only age, giving Bob a solid start. He added a problem he encountered with the early neighbor’s 240-acre farm in 1984 and a imports. He bought 12 Hereford/Salers crosses and then a good Salers bull from few small acreages since.

Bob started with 10 Brangus cows he the Whitham’s in Kansas.

“I don’t believe in chasing bred to a Brahmousin bull. the market because it’s always The bull produced great Harrison, Ark. changing and you’re always heifers, but the Brangus lintwo steps behind the professioneage proved to be more temals,” Bob said. “I found a breed I peramental than he had time liked and have stuck with it.” to deal with due to 16-hour days between his town job and the farm.

— Continued on Next Page APRIL 4, 2016

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13

meet your neighbors Breeding for Uniformity Continued from Previous Page Over the years Bob has developed a purebred Salers herd, initially using select purchases, AI and embryo transfer to grow his herd size and quality more quickly. He now uses only natural breeding and maintains genetic diversity, most recently through bull purchases from Larry Wright and Wright Cattle Co., in Oklahoma.

“I have all the papers but haven’t registered cattle since the 1990s because my customers want good breeding animals rather than show animals, so papers make little or no difference,” he explained.

Bob breeds for uniformity, with 21 highly similar heifers out of one of the Wright bulls. Fifteen of the heifers have calved with no problems. This fall Bob sold most of his weaning heifers locally, thus able to watch them grow and develop over time. His herd currently totals 140 momma cows and bred heifers that are serviced by three herd bulls. Currently no cow is more than 8-years-old, and all heifers and cows are evaluated yearly for disposition, conformation, udder and teat size and general condition. Calf growth and quality are perhaps the most important issues in culling cows in the herd. The best bull calves have been marketed as herd bulls for about 25 years.

“I don’t sell everything as breeding stock. I try to sell those suitable for breeding by private treaty and the balance at the sale barn,” Bob said. “I have mostly repeat customers today. Many of the people who have purchased cattle over the years seem to have been pleased enough to return later for an additional bull or cows.”

Salers are very fertile and breed early and easily. Over the years four heifers were unintentionally bred before they were weaned, that is less than 8 months old. They successfully birthed and raised good calves.

14

“When heifers are bred that early, they do not grow out to be quite as large as normal. Nonetheless, one of those mommas has produced six calves weaned at about 700 pounds with her linage still in the herd,” Bob said.

Bob believes better cattle require less extra feed. After reaching 2 years of age, his cattle receive only hay, free choice minerals, all vaccinations and protein tub supplements. Potential breeding heifers receive 5 to 6 pounds of 50-50 protein after weaning and bull calves are fed 6 to 8 pounds per day until they are sold. Bob limits bull calf intake to keep them trim.

“No one wants to see the bull they purchased lose significant weight when they go to work,” he said.

Elisa said that efficiency is important to Bob and keeping track of numbers is “natural for him.” She added that he also tries to work quickly, even in they hayfield and baled as many as 250 big round bales in a single day.

“A good day is usually 100 bales but by working harder and more efficiently, I save significant time and fuel,” Bob said, adding that he believes in maintaining natural grasses in pastures which provides dietary variety and drought resistance while eliminating a fight against what naturally belongs.

One important feature in the Dickson life is farmhand Nick Garci, who showed up one day more than nine years ago wanting to pay $20 to ride a horse. Bob just let him ride and discovered Nick was an excellent horseman and really good with animals. Before long Nick became a full-time part of the farm. His presence allows the Dicksons to travel with the knowledge that the farm and all of their animals are in good hands.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

town &

country

in the field and in the office

Bobby and Angie Richesin Story and Photo By Terry Ropp

Hometown: Kibler, Ark. Family: Son, Cade (14)

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Town Life: “I have been a pharmacist at the Wal-Mart in Van Buren for 25

years and was raised in that town. I attended the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in the College of Pharmacy in Little Rock, Ark.,” Angie Richesin said. “My husband Bobby has a master’s in business administration from Webster University and teaches organizational management at John Brown University. He has also been a controller at Capital Structures, a wood truss manufacturer, for the last five years. Our son Cade attends school in Van Buren, Ark., where he is involved in many activities, including band, baseball, track and student council.”

Country Life: “We have 10 acres in Kibler, Ark., where we raise chickens and

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©2016 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. “New Holland” is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. “Equipped For A New World” is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

a few Pharaoh quail and runner ducks. The ducks don’t fly, but stand upright,” Angie explained. “They are an Asian bird that herds easily and is used for insect control.

While we have sold a few chickens, what we really do is sell eggs at The Paint Store in Van Buren. We produce seven dozen chicken eggs per week and a few duck and quail eggs in season. We incubate and hatch our baby birds as replacements in order to keep production per bird at an optimum level. We give roosters away for breeding and meat consumption. While we have ornamental birds including Bantams and Silkies, we use their eggs for our own consumption. I also raise a substantial garden and have some potted citrus fruit trees. Both Bobby and I were raised in the country and would never voluntarily live in the city. Hobby farming is expensive and our professional lives allow us to live the life we want for us and our son. Cade helps with bird chores whenever his busy schedule will allow.”

Future: “We will always have animals and in the future want to put up more fencing and raise miniature cattle in addition to our birds. Bobby really wants some Zebus because they look like tiny Brahmans,” Angie said.

APRIL 4, 2016

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

15

market sales reports

(Week of 3/20/16 to 3/26/16)

beef

83.00-94.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction

80.00-97.50 † Ash Flat Livestock Barry County Regional Stockyards 96.00-102.00* Benton County Sale Barn 91.00-116.00 † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auctionn 80.00-105.50* Cleburne County Livestock 78.00-86.00 † Not Reported † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction 90.00-110.00* 85.00-101.00* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock 79.00-104.50 † Ft. Smith Livestock Not Reported † I-40 Livestock - Ozark 88.00-107.50 † Joplin Regional Stockyards 80.50-108.50 † Mid-State Stockyards 90.00-107.00* North Arkansas Livestock 80.00-107.50 †

40

60

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 135.00-138.00; wtd. avg. price 136.45.

Heifers: 135.00-137.00; wtd. avg. price 136.61.

Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 216.00-218.00; wtd. avg. price 217.50.

Heifers: 216.00-218.00 ; wtd. avg. price 217.73.

dairy cattle

Springfield, Mo. • Springfield Livestock Marketing Center

98.00-109.00* 82.00-115.00 †

100

slaughter

120

140

cows

(Week of 3/20/16 to 3/26/16) Arkansas Cattle Auction

63.00-80.00 †

Ash Flat Livee

30.00-79.00 † 63.00-89.50* 53.00-94.00 †

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

70.00-83.50* 63.00-82.00 † Not Reported † 72.00-88.00 74.00-97.00*

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

66.00-91.00 † Not Reported † 50.00-82.00 † 52.00-88.50 † 49.00-86.50* 59.00-85.50 † 55.00-88.00 † 48.50-78.00 † 57.00-88.00 †

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

30

Steers, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

Bulls, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

Heifers, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

16 16

77.00-86.00* 64.00-89.50 †

50

70

90

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 3/22/16

Ash Flat Livestock

1084 Uneven 210.00-270.00 195.00-220.00 175.00-202.00 165.00-175.00 143.00 ----170.00-210.00 155.00-190.00 150.00-164.00 ----180.00-210.00 147.50-188.00 142.50-175.00 143.00-150.00 -----

110

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 3/24/16

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

3/25/16

Barry Co. Regional Stockyards* 3/26/16

3/23/16

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 3/21/16

694

480

1037

793

412

St-10 Lower

Uneven

Uneven

Uneven

2-7 Higher

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

206.00-260.00 180.00-200.00 164.00-183.00 148.00-160.00 -----

206.00-271.00 200.00-231.00 176.00-211.00 165.00-176.00 152.00-155.00

205.00-235.00 192.00-225.00 175.00-200.00 160.00-179.00 142.00-155.00

215.00-257.50 195.00-221.00 170.00-201.00 155.00-175.00 145.00-156.00

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

----169.00-177.00 162.00-170.00 131.00-146.00 120.00

198.00-247.00 196.00-214.00 161.00-191.00 149.00-173.00 -----

202.00-232.00 190.00-223.00 160.00-187.00 148.00-167.00 -----

----175.00-200.00 160.00-192.00 150.00-160.00 140.00-150.00

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

170.00-200.00 168.00-192.00 151.00-165.00 132.00-138.00 125.00-130.00

180.00-217.00 166.00-189.00 150.00-165.00 145.00-160.00 138.00-147.00

184.00-204.00 165.00-180.00 150.00-177.00 140.00-165.00 140.00-155.00

187.00-212.00 172.00-195.00 156.00-174.00 135.00-167.00 136.00-152.00

121( 5(3257('

10

3/22/16

Receipts: 906 The demand was moderate and the supply was heavy and included 2 herd dispersals. There was 07 percent springer heifers, 12 percent bred heifers, 22 percent open heifers, 03 percent fresh cows, 05 percent milking cows, 08 percent bred and springer cows, and 11 percent 160 baby calves. The balance was steers, bulls and slaughter cows. Prices reported are on a per head basis and for Holsteins unless noted otherwise.

Springer Heifers bred seven to nine months: Supreme 1450.00-1650.00, Approved 1225.00-1425.00, Medium 975.00-1150.00, Common 710.00- 960.00.

Heifers bred three to six months: Supreme 1400.001625.00, few crossbreds 1435.00-1625.00, Approved 1100.00-1380.00, ind Jersey 1150.00, crossbreds 1000.001225.00, Medium 900.00-1075.00, Jerseys 775.00-975.00, crossbreds 900.00-925.00, Common 650.00-870.00.

Heifers bred one to three months: Supreme ind Jersey 1330.00, Approved 1275.00-1380.00, pkg 3 Jerseys 1180.00, few crossbreds 1010.00-1100.00, Medium 920.001175.00, crossbreds 800.00-1000.00, Common 650.00850.00.

Open Heifers: Approved 175-295 lbs 385.00-550.00, crossbreds 385.00-450.00, 313-400 lbs 575.00-650.00, Jerseys 710.00-800.00, crossbreds 550.00-650.00, 408-495 lbs 610.00-710.00, crossbreds 610.00-785.00, 505-600 lbs 760.00-850.00, crossbreds 700.00-900.00, 603-693 lbs 825.00-985.00, crossbreds 885.00-985.00, 724-820 lbs 900.00-1010.00.

Medium: 330-358 lbs 410.00-510.00, 525-598 lbs 550.00650.00, 725-765 lbs few Jerseys 700.00-710.00.

Replacement Cows: Fresh Cows: Medium 1000.001250.00, Common 775.00-875.00.

Milking Cows: Supreme 1675.00-1875.00, ind 2025.00, 130 Ind crossbred 1850.00, Approved 1500.00-1650.00, ind

86.00-99.00 † 85.00-111.50 †

80

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

93.00-114.00 †

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

crossbred 1675.00, Medium 1250.00-1425.00, Common 740.00-1025.00.

Springer Cows: Approved ind 1400.00, ind crossbred 1425.00, Medium 1060.00-1375.00, Common few 650.003/27/16 850.00, few Jerseys 850.00-925.00, crossbreds 750.00975.00 Bred Cows: Supreme 1675.00-1875.00, Approved 1380.00-1600.00, ind Jersey 1300.00, few crossbreds 1375.00-1750.00, Medium 1025.00-1300.00, few crossbreds 700.00-1000.00, Common 825.00-985.00.

Baby Calves: Holstein heifers 200.00-375.00, Holstein bulls 160.00-260.00, small 120.00-150.00, Jersey heifers 120.00-180.00, Jersey bulls 80.00-120.00, crossbred heifers 100.00-230.00, crossbred bulls 150.00-200.00, small 85.00-125.00, beef cross heifers ind 400.00, beef cross bulls 220.00-320.00.

Individual 635.00, Pkg 6 hd Crossbreds 700.00, 500-600 lbs Pkg 3 hd 710.00, Pkg 3 hd Crossbreds 750.00, Individual Jersey 625.00, 600-700 lbs 775.00-850.00, Crossbreds 700.00-800.00, 700-800 lbs Crossbreds 870.00-1040.00, Indvidual Jersey 800.00.

Fresh/Milking Heifers and Cows: Approved 1475.001550.00, Crossbreds 1350.00-1425.00, Ind. Shorthorn 1450.00, Medium 975.00-1250.00, Crossbreds 1000.001325.00, Common 625.00-900.00, Crossbreds 825.00975.00.

Bred and Springer Cows: Approved 1175.00-1275.00, Crossbreds 1150.00-1200.00, Jerseys 1175.00-1225.00, Medium Crossbreds 1000.00-1050.00.

Baby Calves: Holstein Heifers 310.00-360.00, Holstein Bulls 210.00-300.00, Jersey Bulls 80.00-120.00, Crossbred Bulls Small 175.00-230.00, Large Ind. 310.00, Beef Cross Heifers 230.00-260.00, Beef Cross Bulls Small 140.00195.00, Large 230.00-360.00.

Slau Sele 120 Slau lbs 1

Nati

Che $1.4 (+.0 Flui in th Nor scho Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards 3/10/16 milk Receipts: 661 clos At this month’s special dairy sales at the Producers serv Auction Yard, demand was good on a heavy supply. wee The supply consisted of 7 percent Springer Heifers, 11 Clas percent Bred Heifers, 31 percent Open Heifers, 33 Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market 3/22/16 sessi percent Fresh and Milking Cows, 9 percent Bred Cows coun Receipts: 476 and 8 percent baby calves. The balance was made up Supply was nearly double than last month and demand was of d of weigh cows and beef animals. All quotes are on a dess very good with a standing room only crowd. All markets per head basis for Holsteins unless noted otherwise. An were mostly steady to higher compared to last month. The SPO advertised 200 hd Crossbred herd sellout of fresh/milking supply made up of 38 percent Slaughter and feeder Lambs, POU cows and bred cows helped to make the supply heavy and 26 percent ewes and rams, 22 percent kid Goats, and 10 Mid filled the arena with a large crowd. percent Does and bucks. All prices are per hundred weight Springer Heifers Bred Seven to Nine Months: Approved (CWT) unless noted otherwise.

1325.00-1475.00, Jerseys 1375.00-1475.00, Medium SHEEP: 975.00-1100.00, Crossbreds 1275.00-1350.00, Individual Feeder Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2 20-33 lbs 227.50Jersey 1000.00.

247.50. Medium and Large 2 20-38 lbs 200.00-220.00.

Heifers Bred Four to Six Months: Approved 1150.00Slaughter Lambs: Wool lambs: Good and Choice 2-3 67-78 1225.00, Crossbreds 1135.00-1225.00, Medium Crossbreds lbs 210.00-230.00.

950.00-1075.00.

Hair lambs: Choice 1-2 40-75 lbs 230.00-240.00. Choice 3-4 Heifers Bred One to Three Months: Supreme Individual 52-85 lbs 212.50-227.50. Good 1-2 80-90 lbs 190.00-200.00.

Jersey 1525.00, Approved Crossbreds 1200.00, Medium Slaughter Ewes: Wooled Utility 1-2 100-135 lbs 70.00-77.00.

Crossbreds 975.00-1125.00.

Hair Ewes: Good and Choice 2-3 88-149 lbs 110.00-135.00.

Open heifers: Approved 200-300 lbs Individual 440.00, Good 3-4 85-135 lbs 75.00-97.50.

Pkg 8 hd Crossbreds 525.00, 300-400 lbs Pair 600.00, Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 1-2 115-235 lbs 60.00-85.00.

Crossbreds 625.00-800.00, Individual Jersey 740.00, 400GOATS: 500 lbs Crossbreds 850.00-920.00, Jerseys 835.00-900.00, Feeder kids: Selection 2 30-38 lbs 240.00-255.00.

500-600 lbs 750.00-825.00, Crossbreds 900.00-950.00, Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 40-72 lbs 265.00-282.50.

600-700 lbs 900.00-980.00, Pkg 3 hd Crossbreds 975.00, Selection 2 43-75 lbs 245.00-260.00. Selection 3 40-70 lbs Medium 200-300 lbs Crossbreds 330.00-410.00, 300-400 200.00-235.00. lbs 490.00-525.00, Crossbreds 510.00-575.00, 400-500 lbs

sheep &

stocker & feeder

County Line Sale Ratcliff -----

Decatur Livestock*

-----

894

459

481

-----

3-7 Higher

Softer

Uneven

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

230.00-278.00 190.00-225.00 185.00-200.00 162.00-174.00 148.00-157.00

214.00-223.00 189.00-214.00 179.00-189.00 155.50-179.00 140.50-155.50

220.00-252.50 197.00-216.00 173.00-200.00 167.00-174.00 -----

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

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

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

205.00-239.00 190.00-214.00 163.00-180.00 157.00-161.00 136.00-145.00

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

195.00-218.00 185.00-192.00 170.00-178.00 154.00-162.00 135.00-148.00

180.00-186.00 161.00-180.00 154.50-161.00 140.50-154.50 133.00-140.50

187.00-213.00 170.00-205.00 145.00-186.00 ---------

3/22/16

goats

prices

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale 3/23/16 3/25/16

Ft. Smith Livestock -----

I-40 Livestock Ozark 3/24/16

127 5(3257('

bulls

127 5(3257('

slaughter

-----

875

5298

-----

-----

St-8 Lowe

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

200.00-231.00 186.00-209.00 176.00-196.00 167.00-170.00 139.00-150.00

215.00-245.0 204.00-234.0 180.00-210.0 160.00-188.0 147.50-166.0

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

----181.00-196.00 175.00-181.00 153.00-165.00 140.00

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

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

191.00-215.00 175.00-188.00 161.00-173.00 149.00-151.00 131.00-145.00

200.00 172.00-190.0 160.00-178.0 148.00-165.0 140.00-147.0

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Joplin Regiona Stockyard 3/21/16

APRIL 4, 2016

cows

$215.0

goats

cow/calf

avg. grain prices

and Large 1-2 20-33 lbs 227.50rge 2 20-38 lbs 200.00-220.00. lambs: Good and Choice 2-3 67-78

40-75 lbs 230.00-240.00. Choice 3-4 . Good 1-2 80-90 lbs 190.00-200.00. d Utility 1-2 100-135 lbs 70.00-77.00.

Choice 2-3 88-149 lbs 110.00-135.00.

00-97.50.

Good 1-2 115-235 lbs 60.00-85.00.

Soybeans

Soft Wheat

Corn

Sorghum

20 16 12

9.24

8

4.94

4

30-38 lbs 240.00-255.00. on 1 40-72 lbs 265.00-282.50.

5.00-260.00. Selection 3 40-70 lbs

Blyt

le hevil

9.26

4.99

5.86 4.99

3.85

3.90

0

9.23

na

Hele

3.83

e

Elain

4.89 3.83

eola

Osc

usta

Aug

ices I-40 Livestock Ozark 3/24/16

Joplin Regional Stockyards 3/21/16

Mid-State Stockyards*

875 -----

950

*

161.75

186.55 ** ** **

164.58 ** ** **

175.63

157.88 156.77

178.02

154.57

178.15

164.39

191.46

159.11

189.46

*

* 194.19

180.48 155.33

184.97

157.93

178.12 180.14

159.41

186.77 *

163.90

* *

161.00 163.48 160.00

176.47

157.77 155.96

177.51 ***

***

164.01

*

164.19

188.74

1375.00-2400.00 †

*

* 171.46

191.80

700.00-2100.00 †

2450

164.28

190.00

1400.00-1975.00* 1950.00-2200.00 †

1950

156.25

181.28

1225.00-1550.00 †

1450

171.98 *

174.84 183.06

1150.00-2200.00 † 850.00-2250.00 * 1125.00-1875.00 †

166.94

191.76

2950

3/21/16

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 3/23/16

OKC West - El Reno, Okla.

3/23/16

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. 3/25/16

Ozarks Regional West Plains 3/22/16

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 3/23/16

Tulsa Livestock Auction 3/21/16

5298

479

870

5892

410

3895

1365

2429

St-8 Lower

St-5 Higher

Uneven

4-8 Lower

-----

Uneven

Steady

2-6 Higher

** 194.90 185.06 ** 195.04

169.00 170.68 166.39 ** 162.49

185.91

158.10 167.88

185.58 151.16

175.89 *

167.14 167.47

195.58

*

* 161.14

193.63

215.00-245.00 204.00-234.00 180.00-210.00 160.00-188.00 147.50-166.00

200.00-255.00 196.00-222.00 182.00-196.00 169.00-184.00 150.00-162.00

219.00-236.00 200.00-225.00 180.00-205.00 165.00-191.00 158.00-163.00

265.00 204.00-223.00 191.00-201.00 176.00-192.00 151.50-166.50

203.00-264.00 200.00-218.00 181.00-200.00 160.00-164.00 141.00-152.00

216.00-233.00 199.00-228.00 187.00-210.00 162.50-190.00 150.00-165.00

206.00-231.00 195.00-216.00 160.00-203.00 150.00-179.00 130.00-153.00

226.00-236.00 217.00-230.00 204.00-216.50 171.00-179.00 134.00-159.00

----181.00-196.00 175.00-181.00 153.00-165.00 140.00

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

200.00-233.00 180.00-212.00 171.00-188.00 144.00-167.00 130.00-144.00

209.00-230.00 185.00-218.00 176.00-196.00 169.00 145.00-150.00

----186.00-205.00 177.50-182.00 160.00 -----

------------153.00-156.00 138.00-140.00

205.00-211.00 190.00-208.00 172.00-199.00 154.00-169.00 -----

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

206.00-216.00 202.00-225.00 189.00-199.00 150.00-168.00 124.00-146.00

191.00-215.00 175.00-188.00 161.00-173.00 149.00-151.00 131.00-145.00

200.00 172.00-190.00 160.00-178.00 148.00-165.00 140.00-147.00

188.00-211.00 170.00-188.00 149.00-178.00 133.00-162.00 -----

184.00-200.00 172.00-185.00 156.00-174.50 143.00 137.50

205.00-210.00 175.00-213.00 160.00-176.00 148.50-165.00 135.00-154.00

200.00-240.00 175.00-199.00 150.00-172.00 148.00-160.00 137.00-140.00

190.00-218.00 172.00-187.50 156.00-175.00 147.00-159.00 136.00-145.00

180.00-213.00 180.00-199.00 150.00-175.00 140.00-164.00 130.00-144.00

195.00-207.00 178.00-188.00 162.00-187.00 154.00-164.00 128.00-138.00

**

** 159.26

190.18

160.29

179.02

Week of 3/20/16

200.00-231.00 186.00-209.00 176.00-196.00 167.00-170.00 139.00-150.00

189.42 183.00 182.66 **

175.58

165.58 158.09

192.42 158 176 194 212 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

230

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

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

162.51 ** 154.64 149.02

190.90 208.45

APRIL 4, 2016

164.54 150.34

152.27

180.76

140

Jan. 16 Feb. 16

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

189.37

Week of 3/20/16

127 5(3257('

ith ck

450

Oct. 15 Nov. 15 Dec. 15

heifers 550-600 LBS.

*

1000.00-2400.00 †

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

July 15 Aug. 15 Sept. 15

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

Not Reported †

Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock Joplin Regional Stock

9.23

Apr. 15 May 15 June 15

steers 550-600 LBS.

pairs

Ash Flat 850.00-2050.00 † 1200.00-1725.00* Barry County Regional Benton County Sale 1125.00-2100.00 † 1300.00-2225.00* Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction 1575.00-1600.00 † † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Not Reported Decatur Livestock Auction 1800.00-2425.00* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita 1975.00-2125.00 * Farmers Livestock - Springdale 1325.00-1775.00 †

Week Ended 3/29/16

Mar. 15

Week of 2/28/16

eep &

$150.0

Week of 3/13/16

3/25/16

Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.4500 and 40# blocks at $1.4900. The weekly average for barrels is $1.4656 (+.0211) and blocks, $1.4900 (+.0020).

Fluid Milk: Farm level milk production is gradually increasing in the country. In the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Mid-State Stockyard 950.00-1900.00 * Northwest and Florida, bottling sales moved lower due to North Arkansas Live 840.00-1700.00 † school closings. In the Central region, and California, bottled 1185.00-1875.00 † OKC West - El Reno milk orders are mixed as most educational institutions are 1150.00-1625.00 † Ouachita Livestock Auction - Ola closed during this week, but requests from retailers and food 650.00-2050.00 † Ozarks Regional service are active, mostly driven by the upcoming holiday this 1400.00-1750.00 * Stilwell Livestock Auction weekend. In New Mexico, Class I sales are up. In Arizona, Tulsa Livestock Auction 1300.00-1825.00 † Class I requests are strong as most K-12 schools are back in ock Market 3/22/16 session. Cream supplies are readily available throughout the 150 650 1150 1650 2150 2650 country and demand is fair to good across the different Classes le than last month and demand was of dairy products. Demands for cream from ice cream/frozen dessert makers are seasonally increasing. ng room only crowd. All markets igher compared to last month. The SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER ercent Slaughter and feeder Lambs, POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper Midwest - $2.2299-2.4044. ms, 22 percent kid Goats, and 10 (Week of 3/20/16 to 3/26/16) s. All prices are per hundred weight Arkansas Cattle Auction 1160.00-2150.00 † herwise.

$182.5

Week of 3/6/16

1000.00-2150.00 † Ash Flat Livestock 700.00-1600.00 † Barry County Regional 1075.00-1650.00* 925.00-1825.00 † Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1500.00-1950.00 * Cleburne County Livestock Auction - Heber Springs 88.00-100.00 † Prices reported per cwt County Line Sale - Ratcliff Not Reported † 1500.00-2100.00* Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita 1350.00-1485.00* Farmers Livestock - Springdale 1325.00-1775.00 † Ft. Smith Livestock Not Reported † I-40 Livestock - Ozark 900.00-1850.00 † 690.00-2150.00 † 6 Joplin Regional

Arkansas Cattle Auction

Week of 2/28/16

(Week of 3/20/16 to 3/26/16)

dairy sales

National Dairy Market at a Glance

ws: Approved 1175.00-1275.00, 00.00, Jerseys 1175.00-1225.00, 00.00-1050.00.

Heifers 310.00-360.00, Holstein rsey Bulls 80.00-120.00, Crossbred .00, Large Ind. 310.00, Beef Cross Beef Cross Bulls Small 140.0060.00.

replacement

Slaughter Does: Selection 1 80-150 lbs 140.00-165.00.

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In 1971, Heifer bought the 1,200 acre ranch after receiving a large donation of cattle, and had no place to put them.

when he returned home he talked with his friends and fellow members of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana. The first international donation was in 1944, when 17 bred heifers went to Puerto Rico; the now Little Rock, Ark.,-based group has worked in more than 120 countries since then, and is in 28 today.

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The property had buildings and infra- on the animals, so the group turned to structure, and quickly became one of the helping farmers in other countries procures animals locally. Rather than sell organization’s distribution centers. “It was a great location because of ports in the ranch, Heifer converted it into its Louisiana and Texas, so this became a place first of three learning center. Rebecca where we raised and bred, and prepared said Heifer has a strong emphasis on animals to ship them overseas,� ranch op- teaching, training and education. ‘Those are a huge part of our projects, erations and volunteer manager Rebecca here and overseas, and so in the United Roetzel, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor.

States they’ve developed a lot Heifer’s founder, Dan of curriculum and community West, had been a relief education resources,� she said. worker in the Spanish Civil “So the evolution took a couple War, and had to make im- Perryville, Ark. decades, but the same place, possible choices every day same mission, different work.� over which children would The site is remarkably diverse. get fresh milk. The experiThere are still animals onsite – ence wouldn’t leave him, and

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

meet your neighbors Rebecca joked that it’s like the Ark, with two of everything. The animals contribute to the Ranch’s educational mission.

“We get kids here from all over the country, urban kids that have never seen a cow or connected that the chicken they eat is a bird,” she said. “Those sorts of animal interactions can be really educational.”

The animals also serve a second purpose: for food. The ranch hosts 18,000 visitors a year, and they can buy meals at the dining hall.

“We raise and process our own chickens and poultry; we also have pork and beef products, and we like to teach about the food system and being connected to where your food comes from,” Rebecca said. “Practice what you preach.”

They also raise their own certified organic vegetables on 5 acres, and have a Community Supported Agriculture project. “There are growers from the Delta and from all over Arkansas, and Heifer USA is working to connect those farmers with a market,” Rebecca said. “A cooperative has been formed; we grow vegetables just to support the farmers, just in case they have a rough year or a bad crop, because we have so many vegetables as a byproduct of service learners.”

In addition to the full-time staff of about 18, the ranch has 30 to 40 volunteers.

Most of them live at the ranch, people and couples who donate six months to a year of their lives to support the work of Heifer. There are also a number of volunteers from the community who work one or two days a week. The day OFN visited, the volunteers were planting trees; Heifer doesn’t need the entire acreage and has been planting a pine plantation, which can be harvested in about 40 years.

The Global Village, which replicates living conditions in a number of developing countries, uses solar power. Visitors, mostly school groups, stay in the huts and shan-

ties overnight or for several days. People in the Global Village use technologies that their residents would use overseas; they’ve obtained a Chinese treadle pump, which is commonly used there to pump water. The ranch also conducts composting and crop rotation, and companion planting.

The clientele for educational courses range from people who have never been connected to farming (Roentzel said, “Things that you might think of as being small – This is a chicken! This is a rooster! Here’s the difference between these two genders’ – might seem simple to you, but might be a totally new piece of information for some of the adults that we have”) to people who have dedicated their lives to agriculture.

Classes can run from a single 90-minute session to several days. The ranch has a popular “Women’s Lambing Weekend” that has a waiting list.

The future of the ranch ties into that of Heifer itself. Rebecca said they’re currently going through a process to determine how to stay relevant, and pointed out many other non-profits and development agencies that started in the post-war period are long gone.

She said Americans are becoming more interested in food, and some are disenchanted with the big production systems that dominate the industry. “There are a lot of young people getting interested in farming,” Rebecca said. “Those are going to present some opportunities for us in the near future, we think; there are training centers all over the U.S., and there may be some possibility for evolution and change out here. But at the root of what we do, we support the mission, and try to build supporters – people who understand what Heifer is doing, who have some empathy towards the problem of hunger and poverty throughout the world, and in our own backyard.”

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A.T. Smith is 87 years old with 16 employees who help him run A.T. Smith Fertilizer, A.T. Smith Mercantile and a 2,200-acre commercial cattle operation in Hindsville, Ark., and 525 acres in Missouri.

Interestingly, A.T. has three cattle herds with 500 mommas and 30 registered bulls.

One herd is purebred but not papered Charolais, another is purebred papered

When A.T. finds a system that works, he sticks with it.

A.T. has only fall calves after losing a few spring calves to freezing weather conditions. He puts the bulls in at Thanksgiving and pull them in March, and weans at 8 months of age, and usually sells the entire calf crop at weaning. This year, however, he fed them until March­and sold them as commercial beef at Northwest Arkansas Livestock Auction in Green Forest.

Add Weed Control to your Fertilizer A.T. Smith continues to operate his commercial businesses, as well as a large cattle operation in Hindville, Ark.

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The auction house picks up the cattle Herefords, and the last is a Black Angus herd. He crosses Hereford bulls and and sells them, creating a streamlined Angus to for Black Baldy calves, and process for A.T. In addition, A.T. rethe Charolais with Hereford and Lim- tains at least 10 percent of his heifers, ousin bulls to build a yellow Charolais which he selects by sight. Another part herd, which he believes earns him the of A.T.’s system is buying bulls from the good registered producers. most money.

He buys Angus bulls from Jac’s Ranch “They top the market,” A.T. said. in Bentonville, Ark.; Charolais “Black hides may earn more bulls from Aschermann’s near per pound, but the larger Hindville, Ark. Joplin, Mo., and Herford bulls yellow calves earn me a hunfrom Star Lake Ranch in Skiadred dollars more per head.” took, Okla., and South Dakota With his breeding program, The Smith acreage is located A.T. expects to have 100 in six separate parcels, 500 acres yellow Charolais heifers by of which is in Missouri. next year.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

meet your neighbors He hays extensively and has 100 acres of RR alfalfa on which he got and unheard of six cuttings last year.

“Arkansas had very poor soil, “poor as Job’s turkey, but fertilizer and chicken litter has changed everything,” A.T. said. His father understood the poorness of the soil and early on built a special barn that allowed for the collection of manure. The manure was caught in a shallow trough and pushed out of the barn by water to a manure spreader.

That manure was then taken to the field and spread.

According to A.T., his father later bought the first carload of fertilizer delivered by rail to Springdale, Ark., and used it to fertilize strawberries.

By the second year, the field was producing more strawberries than his father could market because of the lack of refrigeration at that time.

“My father was really ahead of his time,” A.T. said.

He had a cornfield that he harvested after roasting stage, stalks and all. The stalks were cut by hand and placed in between the rows all facing the same direction and loaded in the same fashion onto a flat wagon. The corn was transported by wagon to a chopper and fed by hand, six stalks at a time and blown into a cistern type silo 25-feet deep and 25-feet in diameter made of field stone and mortar where it fermented.

Then it was used as needed by a worker going down into the cistern and pitch forking the corn into a No. 2 tub and drawn up by hand and dumped on a flat bed wagon, 100 tubs for 100 steers.

Then it was forked by hand into cattle troughs. The corn in the troughs was then covered with a layer of cottonseed meal, 1-pound per animal. Some time he would add ground barley and the product was fed to long­tailed yearling steers weighing 500 to 600 pounds. The cattle loved it and grew well.

A.T.’s pathway to cattle ranching is not typical. He graduated from high school at 15 and started college at the University of Arkansas at 16. He attended for two years when he decided it was time to work for a while.

At 18 he taught 35­-year-­old veterans of World War II in an on the farm trainAPRIL 4, 2016

ing program. He was paid $250 a month and they were paid $110 a month which helped them get started. Among the things he taught were to build fence from the bottom wire up so the wire would remain tight.

Training might also include hands on work such as cutting wood to clear a field for strawberries or constructing dipping vats for flies and lice, and a 4-four hour class each week.

After being drafted for the Korean War and serving in the Army for two years, A.T. returned to the University of Arkansas for one semester when his brother P.J. told him about a test for postmaster eligibility.

He scored the highest out of the 13 people who took the test and served as Hindsville’s postmaster for 35 years. A year after he started, he bought the store in which it was located. Next, he purchased land to build a home and begin a cattle herd.

After the local bank turned him down for a loan because they could only loan $4,000. A banker that knew him personally lent him the money noting that the land had five natural springs. Everybody said it was too poor but it had a good stand of sage grass doing well and he knew that meant Bermuda and fescue would also.

In 1979, he bought the first fertilizer spreader truck and eventually added A.T. Smith Fertilizer, Lime & Seed, which he still runs today.

The heart of his business is personalized service. Customers bring him soil test results and he advises them on the most cost efficient mixture according to field size and test results. That means that each customer receives a different balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. The operation includes 15 farm trucks and four commercial fertilizer spreading trucks with radar and GPS for accurate spreading.

“I owe everything to the Lord. I don’t know if he still has work for me to do or the devil doesn’t want me, but I’m still here and going strong,” A.T. said.

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“I’m on a growing career development event and currently their high-point member and really like all of agriculture. By being on the agronomy team, I discovered I want to go to college for ag communications as a major with a minor in business or agronomy.”

Who is the most influential person in your life?

“My grandpa Kenny has had a tremendous influence on me. He taught me everything I know about the business aspect of farming as well as the hands on one. He also taught me my real life lessons and better ways to handle myself.”

What is your current involvement in agriculture, including your daily routine?

“My daily routine is really determined by the time of the year though it is still pretty random. It can go from selling hay to pulling a calf to welding pipe fence together. During the summer I walk and feed show pigs every day and in fall help harvest sugarcane and make molasses.”

What are some of your agricultural memories?

“My earliest memory is helping cut calves when I was 5. My job was to close the latch and trap the head. I felt very important. A fun one is when I was riding a horse with my sister Reagan and we fell off into the water trough. I was 7 and she was 3.”

What are your future plans?

I have the personal part of my life figured out more than the professional. I want to find some way to combine ag and music and I also want to have land so that I can raise cattle and a good-sized personal garden. Agriculture has a lot of choices and right now I am considering being a county co-op agent though that could change.”

22

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

the ofn

ag-visors

Advice from

the professionals

To Buy or Not to Buy

By Joel Maneval

W

hether the current weather supports this claim or not, spring is here. And, with this time of year, many cattle producers are faced Joel Maneval is the with decisions surrounding their Agricultural/Commerbreeding program. Should I buy this bull? Is this cial Lender at Arvest the right time to purchase replacement heifers or Bank in Joplin, Mo. cows? How much should I spend?

He and his wife, Tami, With the decline in cattle prices in the last part of have a small farm with 2015, many producers are reevaluating how they will their two sons near Jasoperate profitably. While we aren’t hearing a siren per, Mo., where they call that the “sky is falling,” there is cause for pumphave beef cows and ing the brakes a bit given the growth of the national Boer goats. cattle herd, the strength of the U.S. dollar, etc.

For many cattle producers, purchasing breeding stock is a decision that fits into a long-term plan or philosophy. Breed choice, EPDs, and physical composition generally match up with the cattleman’s overall approach to calf production.

Once the producer decides what they’re looking for, they should evaluate the best way to fund these purchases. Sometimes, using available cash may very well make sense. But, one should consider their upcoming expenses and the repayment of accounts payable and/or lines of credit before doing this. If calves or other marketable inventory can be sold to cover these short-term commitments, then using cash may make sense. However, if there is not enough “liquidity” to meet these obligations, then preserving cash and using external financing for the purchases may be a better route.

When borrowing money for breeding stock, the producer will be required to make a down payment or pledge equity found in other assets. The amount required is usually based on how the purchase price compares to the market price of the animal. One rule of thumb for valuing standard quality cattle is to base them on the most recent trading day at the local stockyards. This “market price” becomes the baseline for evaluating the collateral position on a cattle loan. Depending on the financial institution, the amount of cash or equity required for a cattle loan can range from 20 to 30 percent of the market price.

If a producer is buying registered or higher-end genetics, the purchase price is often much higher than the market price. In this case, a better quality, higher costing animal isn’t guaranteed to be worth more than a standard quality animal if it had to be sold at the stockyards at a later date. This is where open communication between the producer and their respective lender is essential so this is known ahead of time.

When borrowing to purchase breeding stock, the producer also needs to determine the best repayment structure. A common amortization schedule for younger breeding stock is four to five years, depending on the useful life of the animal and how it fits into the overall program. If a producer is borrowing to purchase older cattle, then a two- to threeyear schedule would be more appropriate since these animals have a shorter useful life.

Finally, it’s important that the repayment terms fit the cash flow cycle of the operation. If a particular producer markets calves in the spring and the fall, then it makes sense to have semiannual payments that are due shortly after the normal marketing periods. A producer with strong wage income may be better with monthly payments.

Again, the best plan needs to be worked out between each producer and their lender.

APRIL 4, 2016

Know What’s Coming,

Before It’s Here…

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Receive directly in your email: • A brief look at the coming issue.

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23

farm

help

Making farming

a little easier

Replacing Heifers

By Gary Digiuseppe

The best heifers for your operation might not come from your herd What should you look for in a replacement heifer?

According to Dr. Robert Wells, that heifer should come from another herd.

“It’s a best management practice to purchase a replacement from somebody else,” Wells, a livestock consultant with the Samuel R. Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “Our industry is really no different than many other industries; somebody who specializes in a particular segment is more than likely going to have cost efficiencies, and probably be able to do a better job than somebody who is trying to do it on their own. The old saying, ‘A jack of all trades, master of none,’ is very true in our industry.”

There are also genetic advantages to reaching outside for replacements. Wells said if you’re going to develop good quality replacement females, you’re probably going to be giving up traits such as performance, so you’re not getting females that are too big.

“If I’m holding back my own females to develop as replacements for my own herd, all too often a common mistake is going to be to hold back the biggest, heaviest weight heifer in the herd regardless of what her age is,” he said. “I tell cooperators to avoid that pitfall of just looking for the biggest female out there, and look at their birth ages; that’s a good indication of which ones we should keep.”

While the industry does a very good job of matching the genetics of bulls to the producer’s needs, Wells said failure of the commercial cattleman to track the genetics of heifers is a weak point.

“We want to keep females out of cows that have had a calf every year,” he said. “If she has missed a calf, first off she doesn’t need to be in the herd and secondly, if she is, we definitely don’t need to be keeping a female out of her.”

He also said selecting for calves born earlier in your breeding season puts selection pressure on fertility and should increase the overall fertility of the herd over time.

what do you say?

How have your increased your farming efficiency?

24

“What keeps us efficient is turning over our free range hens because younger birds produce more eggs.”

Bobby Richardson Crawford County, Ark.

“One thing we tell people is, the closer to home you can buy your heifers, the more they come from an environment similar to yours, the better off it is,” Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist said. “But inevitably, we have folks who think if they get their cattle from another state, or two or three states away, they’re going to be better. This environment is something that we highly are concerned about, and in Missouri and other states in this region we have fescue. We think if heifers that are going to thrive in a breeding pasture, it’s probably going to be fescue, especially the old kind – the Kentucky 31 with the endophyte – and they probably need to be buying heifers a little closer to home.”

Cole said if you have the luxury of putting heifers into a herd and selecting after the breeding season, “we always like to get those heifers preg checked early and find out who bred that first pill out of the box, so to speak, whether you’re doing AI or natural service. We don’t want them extreme in any way, as far as either frame or sheer weight. We like heifers that are well grown out, probably weighing somewhere in that neighborhood of 700 to 800 pounds at the time you’re going to breed them.”

He also said there should be some uniformity to a set of heifers – either color, muscle type or frame size – University of Missouri Extension Photo – and prefers heifers that look like they will shed at an early time in the season; that way, they won’t be carrying a lot of hair and will probably be set back less by being on endophyte infected fescue.

The industry is still struggling to rebuild the cow herd, but the Jan. 1, 2016 USDA inventory report showed the beef cow herd up 3.5 percent from a year ago. Wells said now is the time to improve the overall genetics of the herd.

“Rather than just choosing any female that has a functioning uterus, let’s go an find good quality females that are actually going to make good cows, and are going to give good genetics to that subsequent calf every year,” he said.

“We designed multiple bull traps so we can sort the cattle by age and nutritional needs.”

“I signed up on each EQIP and built three new livestock ponds with separated heavy use areas to limit access through the use of heavy, jagged rocks in order to preserve water quality which then produces better beef.”

Matt Sexton Wagoner County, Okla.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Earl Ridenoure Crawford County, Ark.

“I have been able to get really good help which is essential and balancing my country and town life efficiency because without that help both lives would suffer.

Mark Hanshaw Boone County, Ark. APRIL 4, 2016

farm help

Be Rabies Aware

By Gary Digiuseppe

Agitation in farm animals could be a sign of the disease Rabies is out there, and livestock are by no means immune.

“We have reports in Arkansas for animals that test positive, and we often have cows and horses that test positive,” Dr. Heidi Ward, University of Arkansas Extension veterinarian, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor.

The signs are aggressive behavior, with the animals acting nervous or agitated; they could be staggering, or may attack other animals or people. Sometimes they can be hypersalivating, the familiar “frothing at the mouth.”

“It’s very similar to any of the other neurological illnesses,” Ward said. “For example, with dogs, it’s very similar to symptoms we see with canine distemper, and skunks can have a distemper virus that looks very similar as well.” Body condition can be a tipoff; rabies kills very quickly, whereas animals with a different disorder can lose weight and become very skinny over a period of time.

If people or other animals are exposed to the possibility of rabies – say, saliva from an animal with these symptoms gets into a wound – the animal would be euthanized and its brain examined for the telltale signs of rabies.

Ward questioned whether a blood test to rule out other neurological diseases would be worth it.

“There really aren’t many that you could treat,” she said. “They’re probably going to die anyway.”

Rabies only occurs in mammals, and the only way to diagnose it is for a laboratory to look at the brain, according to Dr. Howard Pue, state public health veterinarian at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

“There’s no blood test, and you can’t do a biopsy,” Pue told OFN. The only lab in Missouri that tests for rabies is the state Public Health Lab in Jefferson City.

In the Ozarks, the two main reservoirs of the rabies virus are in skunks and bats.

Pue said each different species of bat has its own variant strain of the virus.

APRIL 4, 2016

Other animals – Pue sees cats and dogs, mostly in southeast Arkansas, along with cows, horses and even goats – would contract rabies by being bitten by another infected animal.

“We had a rabid cow in February of this year, in Shannon County, (Mo.)” he said. “We don’t know what the cow was bitten by...If a person was dealing with a rabid animal, a farmer or a veterinarian might think that a cow was suffering from choke and a foreign object was down their throat, so they put their hand in the mouth of the animal. It turns out that it’s not a foreign object, but one of the signs of rabies; they try to swallow and it looks like they’re choking.”

This is dangerous; the animal’s saliva could get into an open wound on the farmer’s hand, or a cow frothing at the mouth could shake its head and throw infected saliva into the person’s eyes, nose or mouth. But once the saliva is on the ground, the virus dies as soon as it dries up.

Ward said the number one source of animal-to-human transmission of rabies is from dogs. The main precaution is just to be aware.

“Any animal that is showing neurological symptoms, especially if they are hypersalivating, could be considered a potential rabies suspect and should be treated accordingly,” she said “Wear gloves if you’re handling them, and if it’s a live animal, don’t try to handle them yourself; get animal control or Fish & Game to come take care of it, so you’re protected and don’t get exposed. The treatment is pretty severe if you are exposed.”

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farm help

Saving the Soil

By Gary Digiuseppe

Conservation plans can help producers save, make money

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The NRCS has a nine step approach to conservation planning, condensed into three phases.

Step 1 is identifying the problems and

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Making a conservation plan, according to Rich Joslin, is a lot like what we do in our everyday lives.

“When we got up, we started identifying what we were going to do today – what opportunities we have – and we start determining our objective for the day,” said Joslin, a resource conservationist with the Arkansas state office of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“We analyze, is it going to rain today? Do I need an umbrella? Is it cold; do I need a jacket? And we start analyzing that, putting that together, and making decisions.”

Landowners, too, have to make decisions about the conservation practices they want to employ. To help them do that, Joslin guides them with the help of an NRCS document called the “National Planning Procedures Handbook.”

He told Ozarks Farm & Neighbors the handbook is “my Bible of conservation planning; that’s my go-to for the conservation planning process.”

He stressed that adoption of a plan is strictly voluntary, unless a producer wants to apply for a program that offers financial assistance or cost-sharing. It’s not a prerequisite for the technical assistance NRCS offers farmers and ranchers.

“What we try to do is work with the landowners to start development of a conservation plan, and that is the basis for deciding what is needed in the future,” he said.

opportunities that may be on someone’s farm.

Step 2 is determining the objectives.

“Every landowner may have different objectives,” Joslin said. “One main objective is to make income, but there may

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be a landowner that knows they have an erosion problem, or if it’s a poultry producer, they know they have poultry litter to deal with. If it’s someone in the cattle business, they know they need more forage, or it may be someone who has a primary concern for wildlife.”

Step 3 is inventoried resources; the conservationist goes onto the farm or ranch to calculate soil loss and calculate the volume and quality of forages versus the number of cattle. It can also include finances available for inputs, and equipment needed compared to what’s on hand. All those data are totalled up in Step 4 to “determine where the concerns are, where the resources are that may be in jeopardy, and how we can start pulling all of that information to start Step 5, formulating alternatives,” he said.

Those could start small – a couple of items at a time that can be accomplished – or a whole system approach called a Resource Management System or RMS plan that would address all the resource concerns at once. Joslin said they normally start in the middle of that after Step 6, evaluating the alternatives with the landowner. Decision-making is Step 7; implementation is Step 8, and evaluation of what’s being accomplished is Step 9.

“You don’t have to start at Step 1 and end at Step 9,” Joslin added. “Once you start implementing things, you can reevaluate at any time and continue to build.”

These are not just subjective decisions.

The calculations in Step 3 determine how close the farm is to T or tolerance, the point at which soil is replenished as fast as it’s lost to erosion. If soil loss is greater than T, the producer could reverse the trend by adopting practices like reduced tillage or planting a cover crop outside of the growing season.

“We use a tool called RUSLE-2, for revised universal soil loss equation,” Joslin explained. “And we have assessments for determining the pasture condition APRIL 4, 2016

farm help score; with this checklist we determine the number of species there, how much cover is there, how many cattle may be grazing there, how many days of rest the landowner is giving that forage.”

The University of Missouri Extension has a website (http://www.communitycommons.org/groups/agsite/) where farmers can produce an assessment of the physical, environmental and cultural characteristics of their land.

To create your own report, enter a location by city, county or zip code, navigate to your site’s location, outline your site, and generate and explore your report. Extension suggests the producer can use it to explore new production alternatives, or to inform decisions on land purchases, lending and real estate appraisals.

Agriculture Soil Conservation Ideas Practice no till farming.

With no till farming, crops are allowed to remain rather than being plowed under at the end of the season. This practice keeps soils anchored in place rather than having bare ground exposed to wind and water.

Use terrace farming. This type of farming uses the topography of the land to slow water flow through a series of terraces. This manipulation of the water flow prevents it from gathering speed and washing soil away from farmlands.

Practice contour farming.

Contour farming replicates the effects of terrace farming, but on a smaller scale. Rather than planting crops in straight vertical rows, crops are planted following the contour of the landscape. Crops planted up and down hillsides create pathways for water to flow.

Crops planted parallel to the land slow the flow of water that prevents soil erosion.

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farm help

Putting Waste to Use

By Gary Digiuseppe

Composting on your farm can help improve soil health Composting has a lot of benefits. It puts waste from farm, home and garden to good use; it produces highly nutritious organic matter for those same farms and gardens. It reduces or even eliminates carbon releases into the atmophere.

And in fact, the University of Missouri is using it in what they envision could eventually be a zero-carbon production system that services campus dining halls.

MU points out Americans now waste 150 trillion calories a year in the form of discarded food. With their system, that food from the dorms and offices goes right back into the production system. In addition to food waste from Campus Dining, the closed-loop composting system uses horse bedding from the Bradford Research Center just east of the Columbia campus.

It’s not perfect; Campus Dining yields 270 tons of food waste a year, but only a fraction of that is composted at Bradford. And even with that, the farm produces more compost than it can use to grow the vegetables that get shipped back to the dining halls. They’re hoping the students who run the composter can find a way to profitably market the rest.

Composting, according to a University of Arkansas Extension website, is controlling the natural decay of organic matter by providing the right conditions for organisms to convert the feedstock into a product that can be returned to a growing system. Bacteria, fungi and protozoa break down the feedstock in a moist, oxygen-demanding environment.

The article says compost makes soils better. It breaks up heavy clay soils, helps sandy soils retain water and nutrients, and releases essential nutrients. It also contains beneficial microscopic organisms that build up the soil and make nutrients available to plants.

Virtually any organic material can be used for composting, but the material’s

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content will contribute to the quality of the compost. The Missouri dining hall waste is mostly discarded food, which has a high ratio of nitrogen, whereas the horse bedding is high in carbon. The Arkansas article says the decomposing microorganisms need about 1 part of nitrogen for every 30 parts of carbon in the organic material; if the carbon ratio is higher, the materials will decompose more slowly. A pile made of sawdust, which is high in carbon, will take years to decay, while adding more green substances like grass and hay will produce compost in less time.

Because the composting process is aerobic, the piles should be regularly disturbed or infiltrated with pipes with holes called air stacks. The pile also needs moisture, and should be kept damp. Too much water, though, can block oxygen and slow decomposition, so piles should be covered during rainy periods.

Compost is ready when the original organic materials are no longer recognizable and it is no longer generating a significant amount of heat. It should have a dark, crumbly appearance and an earthy odor. Using it before it’s completely decomposed could cause crops to yellow and appear stressed, because the microorganisms are competing with the plants for needed nitrogen.

Like the students at MU, you may produce more compost than you need, and turn to marketing it. One farm in Dardanelle, Ark., Balloun Farms, uses an aerated static pile composting system to produce a concentrated organic compost free of any pathogens or weed seeds. Their organic compost is made from pig manure solids and carbon sources such as wheat straw and/or corn stalks. The pile temperatures are significantly higher than the minimum required to take care of weed seeds and/or any human pathogens.

APRIL 4, 2016

farm help

Droning On

A drone is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is capable of being flown remotely from an operator on the ground or a software controlled flight plan that also encompasses GPS, and can be equipped with a camera.

According to an article on TechTarget. com, drones “have most often been associated with the military, but they are also used for search and rescue, surveillance, traffic monitoring, weather monitoring and firefighting, among other things.”

How Could I Use A Drone For My Herd?

One of the emerging ways farmers are using drones is to monitor their livestock. It is no secret that farmers spend a great deal of time checking their stock and the larger the farm, the harder it can be and the longer it takes. This job can be made more efficient with a drone.

“Unmanned aerial vehicles may save farmers time and money with bird’s-eye views of farmland,” said Bill Wiebold, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.

APRIL 4, 2016

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

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Do drones have a place in the livestock industry?

What Is A Drone?

Lazy U Ranch

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By Klaire Howerton

Every year, those in the agriculture industry are introduced to new technology that offers opportunities to make their lives and production practices more efficient.

Some of this technology is helpful and some of it is laughable, but it all shows that this industry is moving with the times. One of the newest examples of ag tech is drones and stockmen just might be surprised at what these unmanned aircrafts have to offer.

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Some drones are equipped with infrared sensors to track missing livestock, explained Jamey Jacob, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Drones also have the potential to replace herding dogs down the road during round ups.

Drones, according to Modern Farmer magazine, have a “lighter impact” on the farm, and are cheaper over the life of the drone than a herding dog or an ATV. Entry-level aircraft cost $500 to $1,500, and for about $300, farmers and ranchers can install cameras that send clear still or video images directly to the farmer’s smartphone.

Do Drones Require A License?

Currently, farmers and other individuals using drones for a non-commercial purpose must follow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines for unmanned aircraft hobbyists: 1. Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles 2. Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times.

3. Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations.

4. Don’t fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying. 5. Don’t fly near people or stadiums. 6. Don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 pounds.

7. Don’t be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft.

As of Feb. 19, 2016, drones weighing between .55 and 55 pounds must be registered with the FAA. The cost is $5.

For more information, go to www.registermyuas.faa.gov.

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calendar

April 2016 4 Beef Cattle Reproduction Clinic – 6 p.m. – Marshall, Ark. – 870-448-3981

or 501-745-7117 5 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6:30 p.m. – Cornerstone Bank, Berryville, Ark.

– 870-423-2958 5 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6:30 p.m. – Benton County Extension

Center, Bentonville, Ark. – 479-271-1060 5 Pesticide Applicator Training – 1 p.m. – Northwest Arkansas District

Fairgrounds, Harrison, Ark. – 870-741-6168 8 1st Annual Tri-County Beef Meeting – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Franklin County

Extension Office, Ozark, Ark. – 479-667-3720 8-9 4-H Rabies Vaccination Clinics – contact Baxter County Extension

Center for more information – 870-425-2335 9 Ozark District 4-H Volunteer Leader Training – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Westside

Church of Christ, Russellville, Ark. – 479-968-7098 or 479-444-1755 9 Franklin County Master Gardener Plant Sale – 8 a.m.-1 p.m. – Franklin

County Extension Office, Ozark, Ark. – 479-667-3720 9 NWA District Spring Livestock & Poultry Show – Washington County

Fairgrounds, Fayetteville, Ark. – 479-444-1755 11-14 Alabama Tennessee Beef Cattle Tour – Heber Springs, Ark. – Deadline to

register March 15 – 501-362-2524 11 Baxter County Conservation District Forage Meeting – 6 p.m. – Baxter

County Fairground, Mountain Home, Ark. – 870-425-2335 or 870-425-3527 13-24 Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fundraiser – Tractor Supply, Booneville, Ark.

– all proceeds go to the 4-H program – 479-675-2787 14 BBQ Bank Challenge – 5:30 p.m. – $5 for pre-pay tickets, $7 at the door –

Cornerstone Bank, Berryville, Ark. – 870-423-2958 14 Pesticide Applicator Training – contact the Carroll County Extension

Center for more information – 870-423-2958 15 Farmers Market – 3:30-6 p.m., every Friday until growing season ends – Jasper

Square, Jasper, Ark. – 870-446-2240 15 Pesticide Applicator Training and Sprayer Calibration Field Day – 1 p.m. –

Hindsville, Ark. – contact Madison County Extension Center for more

information – 479-738-6826 16 Master Gardner’s April in Paris – 9 a.m.-noon – First National Bank Community

Center, Paris, Ark. – 479-963-2360

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April 2016 4 Brockmere Farms Spring Production Sale – at the Farm, Brookfield, Mo. – 660-258-2901 5 Hubert Charolais Ranch 37th Annual Bull Sale – at the Ranch, Monument,

Kan. – 785-672-3195 5 Brown Land & Cattle On-line Production Sale – Diamond, Mo. – 417-358-5064 7 Pharo Cattle Company Angus/Red Angus Spring Bull Sale – Springfield

Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 800-311-0995 9 Lucas Cattle Company Spring Open House & Bull Sale – at the Farm,

Cross Timbers, Mo. – 417-399-1241 9 Ozark & Heart of America Beefmaster Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing

Center, Springfield, Mo. – 918-456-1199 9 Renaissance Charolais Sale – Chappell’s Sale Arena, Strafford, Mo. – 405-246-6324 12 Sydenstricker Genetics Influence Sale – New Cambria, Mo. – 573-581-5555

30

16 Northwest Arkansas 4-H Volunteer Training – Peterson Auditorium,

Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Ark. – register by

April 4 – 479-444-1755 18 Master Gardner’s A look at the Past and What’s on the Horizon Silver Gardens

– 7 p.m. – County Building, 416 South Brady, Claremore, Okla. – 918-923-4958 19 Junior Livestock Clinic – 6 p.m., dinner provided – Door prizes at the clinic –

Carroll County Fairgrounds, Berryville, Ark. – 870-423-2958 – RSVP by

April 18 19 Annual Livestock Field Day, Managing Breeding and Feeding – 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

– U of A Experiment Station, Batesville, Ark. – 870-793-7432 19 Ag Trade Show – Le Flore County Fairgrounds, Poteau, Okla. – 918-647-8231 19-23 4-H Rabies Clinic – contact Madison County Extension Center for more

information – 479-738-6826 20 Farmers Market – 9-noon, Wednesdays until end of growing season – Extension

Office, Jasper, Ark. – 870-446-2240 21 EAC Spring Council Meeting – contact Washington County Extension

Center for more information 479-444-1755 21 Baxter County Cattlemen’s Meeting – 6 p.m. – Western Sizzlin, Mountain

Home, Ark. – 870-425-2335 23 Berry Recipe Contest – 10 a.m. – Farm Bureau Building, Berryville, Ark. – 870-423-2958 23 Master Gardeners Plant Sale – 8 a.m.-2 p.m. – County Building, 416 South

Brady, Claremore, Okla. – 918-923-4958 23 North Arkanas Junior District Spring Livestock Show – Baxter County

Fairgrounds, Mountain Home, Ark. – 870-425-2335 26 Lawn and Turf Weed Workshop – 5:30 p.m. – Marshall High School Cafeteria,

Marshall, Ark. – 870-448-3981 28 Tomato Workshop – 5:30 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Center, Conway,

Ark. – 501-329-8344 28-30 2016 Arkansas State Fair Spring Livestock Show – Arkansas State Fairgrounds,

Little Rock, Ark. – www.arkansasstatefair.com 29-30 OHCE Quilt Show – Sequoyah County Fairgrounds, Sallisaw, Okla. – 918-775-4838 30 Annual Lawn and Garden Expo – 8 a.m.-1 p.m. – United Methodist

Church, Bentonville, Ark. – 479-271-1060

16 McBee Cattle Round-Up Sale – at the Farm, Fayette, Mo. – 573-696-2517 16 Owen Brothers Cattle Company Diamond & Spurs Sale – at the Farm,

Bois D’ Arc, Mo. – 417-830-8180 16 Missouri Red Angus Association Ozark Round Up Sale – Springfield

Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 417-962-0881 23 5th Annual Highland Cattle Auction – Lebanon Livestock, Lebanon, Mo.

– 417-369-0505 30 Pinegar Limousine Road to Lexington Heifer Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 417-833-2688 May 2016 14 Central States BBA Heart of Central States Sale – Sycamore Springs Arena,

Locust Grove, Okla. – 918-456-1199 20 Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards,

Carthage, Mo. – 417-466-3102

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory Angus

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

Balancers

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Charolais

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Gelbvieh

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Herefords

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

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4/4/16

P.O. Box 6, Prairie Grove, AR 72753 417-532-4721 FAX julie@ozarksfn.com

NEW LOCATION: SW MO at Lebanon Livestock Barn off Interstate 44 at exit 123. Just a mile off exit on service road.

For more information about the sale and consignments contact: Jerry Declour 417.693.0858 • 417.369.0505 • hairycows@centurytel.net HHCA 417.345.0575 • 417.733.3201 • heartlandhighlandcattle@gmail.com www.heartlandhighlandcattleassociation.org • www.highlandcattleauction.com

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND YOUR WRITING PORTFOLIO Ozarks Farm & Neighbor is looking for freelance writers in the following counties In Arkansas: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Marion, Newton, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Van Buren, Washington, White and Yell In Oklahoma: Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Le Flore, Mayes, Muskogee, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah and Wagoner

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

ADAMS TRUSS, INC.

The Original • Manufacturing Steel Trusses for 50 Years Quality at a Competitive Price

5th Annual Highland Cattle Auction Selling Registered, Unregistered, and Crossbred Highland Cows, Bulls, Calves & Steers Saturday, April 23, 2016 • 2:00 PM

Wanted

FREE Customized Materials Bid

BARN & SHOP KITS

24' - 60' Spans Complete Technical Support from Adams Truss

DESIGNED FOR ECONOMY ENGINEERED FOR STRENGTH 12425 Collins Road Gentry, AR 72734

ADAMS TRUSS, INC.

CLEAR SPAN STEEL BUILDING TRUSSES

(479) 736-8581 (800) 228-9221

www.adamstruss.com 4/4/16

APRIL 4, 2016

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

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THE TRUCK SPECIALISTS! We know what you want ...

Big Selection + Low Prices!

We’re farmers, too! We know what farmers want, and we keep the most popular models in stock at the lowest prices you’ll find in North Arkansas!

Family owned and operated for over 43 years!

Absolute Top Dollar offered on all trades!

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

We’re BIG on Heavy Duty Trucks!

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

WoodMotor.com

North Arkansas’ Volume Dealer!

FINANCING AVAILABLE!

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

We stock the trailers farmers use most!

Whether it’s a golf cart, a 4-wheeler trailer or one of the big boys, you’ll find it at Wood Motor Co. We’ll NEVER be undersold!

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

APRIL 4, 2016