Ofn dummy 5 16 16 by Eric Tietze

Back to Their Roots

Oklahoma natives Alan and Nikki Starr take over at Stilwell Livestock Auction

MAY 16, 2016 • 28 PAGES

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 5 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

Improving An Operation

MAY 16, 2016

Ranch manager Jason Dildines works to increase cash flow, profitability of operation

Beef, Bui & Constr lding uction Issue

The Life and Times of Bunky Memories of teams of horses used for fieldwork and a trained buffalo on David Letterman

Should He Stay or Go? When is the right time to replace a bull in your herd? Serving More Than 24,000 Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

rumor mill

New Sebastian County Extension Agents: The University of Arkansas-Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, Sebastian County, Ark., has announced that Shawnee Sorensen and Jayson McGaugh have joined the staff. McGaugh is the new 4-H Program Assistant for Sebastian County, and Sorensen is the new Family and Consumer Sciences County Extension Agent for the county. Farm Family of the Year finalists: County winners for the 69th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected. The county winners will be judged June 6-8 to determine the eight district winners. The district winners will be announced June 14. Farm families from the Arkansas Ozarks who are being recognized are: Chris and Nesha Smith family (White County); Ronnie and Tina Grayham family (Baxter County); Rob Wilson family (Cleburne County); David and Susan Carr family (Fulton County); Nick and Beth Dearmore family (Marion County); Harold Hendrix family (Searcy County); Wade Lucas family (Van Buren County); Tracy Moorman family (Benton County); Wes Parker family (Boone County); Kirk and Lacey Powell family (Carroll County); Brad Hall family (Crawford County); John Parrish family (Franklin County); Peach Pickin’ Paradise: Mark and Shay Morgan family (Johnson County); Troy and Kathy Cline family (Madison County); Joe and Genevieve Villines family (Newton County); Samantha Phanouvong family (Sebastian County); and Kendall and Stephanie Pendergraft family (Washington County). Student awarded scholarship: Dustin Kunzel of Bluejacket, Okla., is one of 10 high school seniors in Oklahoma who were awarded $1,000 scholarships by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor begins email notification: Ozarks Farm & Neighbor has launched an email update service, offering information about upcoming issues, agriculture-related news and events, as well as educational information that producers will find useful for their operation. To sign up for the free email notification, go to join.ozarksfn.com and fill out the online form.

OzarksFarm @OzarksFarm

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

MAY 16, 2016

VOL. 10, NO. 5

JUST A THOUGHT 3 Jerry Crownover – The hunt for the Osceola turkey

Jody Harris – Checking for ticks

Julie Turner-Crawford – Celebrating Beef Month

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 Alan and Nikki Starr take over Stilwell Livestock Auction

10 12

Couple rebuilds their cattle operation after a hit by Mother Nature

The colorful past and new adventures of Bunky Boger

Eye on Agribusiness spotlights Larson Farm and Lawn

Manger Jason Dildines works to improve the Clear Creek Ranch

Town & County features Chris Fenton

Gentry, Ark., producer builds the barn of his dreams

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Jaron Watkins

FARM HELP 21 The evolution of farming 22 Things you should know before picking a contractor

24 25

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Is it time for your bull to find a new home? Pest problems could cost you Build from scratch or pre-fab?

MAY 16, 2016

just a

thought

PO Box 6, Prairie Grove, AR 72753

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960

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

What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?

Sandra Coffman

Life Is Simple

Weekly Sale Every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. starting with Calves & Yearlings, Stock Cows, Butcher Cows, then Bulls.

e f i L elpmiS si

By Jerry Crownover

y dental appointments usually take about anrehour toocomplete vonw rC yrreJ yB – approximately 15 minutes to check out my molars, incisors, Jerry Crownover is and canines before a 45-minute a farmer and former story of the dentist’s latest hunting adventure. professor of Agriculture Last week, the good doctor told me of his most Education at Missouri recent hunting trip to Florida, in his quest to State University. He is a complete the “grand slam” of turkey hunting, by native of Baxter County, taking an Osceola turkey. Arkansas, and an One of his dentist friends in that state had inauthor and professional vited him to fly down for a quick, one-day hunt, speaker. To contact Jerry, for the elusive bird. The friend had also grago to ozarksfn.com and ciously offered to provide him with a shotgun so click on ‘Contact Us.’ that he wouldn’t have the hassle and expense of checking his own gun on the plane. According to my dentist, the Osceola turkey has even keener eyesight than the Eastern wild turkey, that he is used to hunting, so it would be imperative that he rise and shoot as soon as he has visual confirmation. Squatting in the heavy swamp grass together, the two dental surgeons successfully called in a big Osceola tom. My dentist, obeying instructions from the more experienced Florida guy, sprang from his hiding place to shoot, about one second before his friend did the same. At first, my dentist was irritated, thinking that his Florida friend had purposely doubled on the bird to claim partial credit for the prize. But then, the Florida hunter ran over to where they had shot and yelled, “We both got one!” Sure enough, there were two birds down. My dentist most certainly wanted to bring his bird back to Missouri to mount as evidence that he had, in fact, harvested an Osceola turkey. Either that, or his wife needed proof that the quick trip to Florida actually involved hunting.

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Administrative Eric Tietze, Vice-President Operations Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Sandra Coffman, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Kathy Myers, Production Sales Circulation Stan Coffman, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production Contributors Gary Digiuseppe, Katrina Hine, John Kleiboeker and Terry Ropp

About the Cover Alan and Nikki Starr, the new owners of the Stilwell Livestock Auction, have deep roots in their community and agriculture. See more on page 7. 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.

— Continued on Page 6

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’m a country girl. I love being outdoors. I don’t mind getting dirty. I don’t get queasy at the sight of blood or guts. I’m not afraid to scoop manure, no matter how foul it may smell. Jody Harris is a freelance But... nothing sends me into orbit like the mencommunications specialist, tion of TICKS! Hearing the word just makes me gardener, ranch wife and feel itchy all over. A wave of nausea comes over mother of four. She and me when I hear Brad Paisley’s song about checkher family raise Angus beef ing someone else for ticks – eew! Repulsive. cattle and other critters on The Webster’s dictionary defines ticks as “any of their northwest Arkansas a superfamily (Ixodoidea) of bloodsucking acarid ranch. She is a graduate arachnids that are larger than the related mites, of Missouri State University. attach themselves to warm-blooded vertebrates to To contact Jody, go to feed, and include important vectors of infectious ozarksfn.com and click on diseases.” Just reading that made me gag a little bit. ‘Contact Us.’ I didn’t become a deranged person about ticks overnight. It’s been a process. When I was pregnant with my fourth child, my husband had a mystery illness. He would wake up in the middle of the night and have a raging fever and aching joints. I thought he was having anxiety about a new baby. I would give him an ibuprofen and his symptoms would disappear. This went on for about a month before he decided he was dying. He went to see his physician. After a simple blood test, we learned he had Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever. Gross! It was wintertime by then and we couldn’t fathom when he’d last had a tick. After strong antibiotics and probiotics, he was back from the dead. Our baby came and all was well with the world. Every spring I hear people say the same thing. “It’s gonna be a bad year for ticks!” And every year it really does seem to be a little bit worse. I get my defenses up early. Monthly tick prevention medicine is put on the dogs and cats. Lemony smelling grass gets planted in the flower beds near the house. I also keep an apocalyptic supply of tick spray at both ends of our house, in the farm truck and in the RTV. (Sigh) just when I think I’ve got my bases covered! Our children love to play outside. We camp. We walk tall grass checking fences. We have animals roaming in the woods. I cover, spray, wash and “tick-check” my kids constantly. The little buggers still get by me. Last fall, the kids walked up the hillside to play with the neighbors one afternoon before I could spray them down. They took the quickest route through the tallest grass between our two properties. They came home covered from head-to-toe in the teeniest, nastiest mess of seed ticks I had ever seen in my life. As I stripped them down and checked all their nooks and crannies, I was bawling, but most were too small. I lost count of how many there were. I ran a bath and put bleach in the water to get them off of the kids’ little bodies. The bites afterward were a grim reminder of how something so small can turn me into a certifiably crazy mom. By the following weekend my husband and our neighbor burned the entire hillside to get rid of the revolting bugs. Before I sat down to write this, I was googling more remedies for tick prevention. I’ve pulled at least 10 ticks off various family members in the last month, including myself. The war is on. What do you do to get rid of ticks, neighbor?

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

just a thought

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ur calendars have finally rolled over to the month of May. For me, that means I might finally be able to add a few new Julie Turner-Crawford plants to the landscape of the is a native of Dallas Crawford Ranch without worrying about frost, County, Mo., where she and I’m looking forward to spending more time grew up on her family’s enjoying the weather opposed to cursing it. farm. She is a graduate For others, May means graduation celebrations, of Missouri State finalizing plans for summer vacations or getting University. To contact ready for the county fair circuit to kick off. May Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 is many things to many people, but if there is one or by email at editor@ thing we should all celebrate this month, it’s our ozarksfn.com. nation’s cattle producers. May is National Beef month and I plan on celebrating around our barbecue grill with some tasty burgers and steaks at least once a week, if not twice a week, all month long. Raising cattle is a way of life for many of us in the Ozarks and the impact of our family farms on our nation’s economy is huge. The U.S. beef industry is made up of more than 1 million businesses, farms and ranches. According to the USDA, the U.S. is the largest beef producer in the world. Here are a few fun cattle facts from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: • Number of cattle and calf operations: 915,000 • Average herd size: 40 head • Economic impact: $88.25 billion in farm gate receipts • In 2015, U.S. beef production (commercial carcass weight) was 23.69 billion — Continued on Next Page

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just a thought Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page pounds. The total U.S. beef consumed was 24.807 billion pounds, and the average annual U.S. retail Choice beef price was $6.29 per pound • Value of total U.S. beef exports (including variety meat) in 2015 equaled $6.302 billion • Top export markets for 2015 (in order): Japan, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong the Middle East. Let’s also not forget that our country’s dairy farms also contribute to the beef industry with feeder steers and heifers, as well as the cull cow and bull markets. There are, however, a few elements in the beef industry that we sometimes forget, including its impact on other, non-agriculture industries, and the connections might surprise those who are adamant in their anti-animal agriculture stance. For example, the health and beauty industry utilizes cattle byproducts in the production of collagen cold cream, cosmetics, shaving cream, shampoo and conditioner, soaps and other products. Camera film, perfume, candy, marshmallows, gelatin, chewing gum, candles, baseballs, basketballs, vitamin capsules, fertilizers, luggage, piano keys, plastic bags, paint, violin strings, tires, china and even asphalt binders all have elements of beef byproducts.

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 Regardless, he went to the nearest local discount store and purchased a cheap cooler to fly the trophy back home. Guessing that the bird weighed a little under 20 pounds and the plastic cooler about one pound, he packed it in 30 pounds of ice, because the airline only charged $35 for one additional piece of freight, as long as it was 50 pounds or less. With a surgeon’s skill, the dentist carefully used an entire roll of duct tape to seal the lid and reinforce the sides of the cheap cooler. As he checked the cooler at the airport, he had to show all licenses and permits to prove the contents and legality of the cargo. Documenting that all the paperwork was in order,

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Several months ago, I read a blog written by someone who was “appalled” that consumers were being “tricked” into condoning the slaughter of animals by the use of animal byproducts. The writer had big plans to boycott certain companies and to write scathing letters to the corporate leaders. I hope the writer doesn’t use a computer to write those letters because it is likely the plastic and rubber components contain stearic acid (a cattle byproduct), which is used to stabilize computer against heat. No driving to the companies either because of the whole tire and plastic issue, and shoes might be out of the question because of the use of leather, so the best option for the blogger might be to investigate using carrier pigeons. With so many things that can be attributed to cattle production, we should celebrate the industry each and every day, not just in May. During National Beef Month, let’s take the opportunity to educate those around us about many aspects of the beef industry and its importance to our daily lives. And when someone asks, “Where’s the beef?” you can tell them.

the ticket-lady placed the cooler on the scales to reveal that the entire package weighed…52 pounds. That would be an extra $100, because it was over their limit. (Did I mention that my dentist is pretty tight with his money?) He was shocked and saddened, but he had to get the bird back home. “Why didn’t you just remove 2 pounds of ice?” I asked. “I would have, but I had no duct tape left and I knew I’d never get it resealed good enough to make the flight,” he quickly answered. “So, as much as it hurt, I just paid the extra $100.” Sympathizing with the guy, I offered up my best, “Sorry.” “Oh, it’s all right,” he replied with a wink, “Your bill for today should just about cover it.” MAY 16, 2016

meet your

neighbors

Back to Their Roots By Terry Ropp

Oklahoma natives Alan and Nikki Starr take over at Stilwell Livestock Auction Alan and Nikki Starr both grew up in the Stilwell, Okla., area. Alan, just south of town and Nikki was raised about 17 miles south of Stilwell in a little community called Bunch, Okla., where they now reside. They both lived a country life and were raised to work hard to accomplish their goals. Alan raised cattle, slaughter pigs and show animals. He remembers his chores of feeding and watering the animals. Also, working cattle, baling and hauling hay at a young age.

they would someday come back home to the Stilwell, Okla., area. Alan continued pursuing a military career, after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Systems Technology Management at the University of Arkansas. He has been in the Air National Guard for more than 21 years and has deployed on several active duty tours to places such as Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. Alan still serves as an instructor navigator on a C-130 aircraft with the Arkansas Air National Guard one weekend a month.

Alan and Nikki Starr, pictured with their son Stetson, have returned to their agriculture roots and have purchased Stilwell Livestock Auction.

Photo by Terry Ropp

Nikki remembers helping raise cattle, pigs, commercial broiler chickens and Quarter horses, which were bred for racing. One of her first chores was to drive the hay truck in granny gear on her knees in the seat, while her dad threw square bales off the back at 3 years old. “There were hills and hollers which made it all the more interesting,” Nikki said. Alan and Nikki loved farm life so much that have kept their cattle operations going while pursuing other fields in hopes that MAY 16, 2016

Nikki advanced her career with a financial focus. She obtained her brokerage/ insurance license for investment consulting, as well as mortgage broker, real estate and building contractor licenses. She has worked for the Dallas, Texas-based brokerage firm Fidelity Investments, Home Loan Corporation and Arvest Bank over the last 15 years. She has also built and remodeled houses Stilwell, Okla. and has grown her rental business over the years, which she still manages today. They both

kept their farm operation going for many years now. Their goal has been to continue to improve the quality of their herd by introducing better bull genetics as needed. Their biggest blessing is their son, Stetson Starr, now 3 years old. He loves to help with the cattle and go for tractor rides to feed and take care of the animals. In October 2015, the Starrs were given the opportunity to purchase Stilwell Livestock Auction in Stilwell, Okla. Alan and Nikki have been able to expand their love for people and the cattle industry with the purchase. It is their passion to continue to serve and help others with their cattle operations by staying on top of the market and providing as much information to help cattle raisers make the best informed decisions. Stilwell Livestock Auction averages 1,200 to 1,500 head at its weekly sale, which is at 11 a.m. each Wednesday. The facility has the capacity to handle more than 3,000 head, with all animals being housed in covered pens. Sale days require about 50 employees. Treating their customers well is a top priority for Alan and Nikki, who are both directly involved with the operation of the livestock auction. “Customer service is critical in this business as is face-to-face contact with current and new customers,” Alan said. “We want to promote a small town atmosphere and personal service even though we also handle the bigger markets and strive to run a highly proficient and professional business enterprise.” An annual pre-vaccination sale takes place the first Friday in December at Stilwell Livestock Auction. The most recent sale accommodated more than 3,500 animals. Calves in the sale are required to be weaned 45 days prior to the sale, have had two rounds of vaccination, and bulls must be castrated. All non-polled animals are required to be dehorned.

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weekends to work on the farm, with his wife and children handling it while he was gone during the week. “Buying the farm meant working very hard all of the time with no spare time for a social life,” Odell said. “The truth was, however, I was more contented and fulfilled than I had ever been, and Evelyn was right there beside me helping to build our dream.”

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This is the story of the twists and turns life can take as, by the grace of God, it moves toward fulfillment and contentment. Odell and Evelyn Ray went to school together in Berryville, Ark., in the same grade. Both married and were divorced before they reconnected for what is now their 50th year of marriage. They are also the

Odell Ray began a purebred cattle operation in 1978. He now has a commenced herd. Photo by Terry Ropp

fourth generation on land Odell’s greatgreat-grandfather James’ homesteaded after the Mexican-American War in the late 1840s. In 1958, Odell could not find a job and went to Kansas City to work. In 1960, he began working for the Burlington Northern Railroad until 1999 when he retired after 40 years. In the meantime, he moved his wife and children back to Arkansas in Polo, Ark. 1978 to purchase his grandfather Buck’s place after his uncle Ralph passed. Odell drove back and forth to Kansas City every week for 20 years, coming home on

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

When Odell bought the land, it was mostly overgrown and took years to clear and improve. He also bought adjoining properties that eventually became a 360-acre spread and built 10 spring-fed ponds that do not freeze over. “Cattle need water more than even food when it’s really cold. Sometimes they drink so much they have to rest when getting out of the pond,” Odell said. Odell started with a commercial cattle herd, but sold out in 1978 to buy 15 registered Limousins from Kenneth Garrison, who lived in Willard, Mo. He researched and discovered that Limousins sold well on the MAY 16, 2016

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Trailers for the Serious CATTLEMEN! market and yielded a heavily muscled convert grain to weight well. Mommas carcass. Finally, Limousins crossed well were grass-fed and all animals received with any breed, making them desirable supplemental salt and minerals. for commercial breeders. “Around here minerals are especially “The slogan at the time was ‘Lean on important because our soil does not supLimousine,’” Odell recalled. ply minerals that occur more naturally He sold breeding stock for 14 years. in places like Montana,” Odell said. Odell gradually built his herd up to When Odell retired, he began harvest60 mommas by retaining heifers and ing his hay himself instead of on shares. purchasing a few additional ones. He Hay and pasture grounds are fertilized bought bulls according to their EPD’s with chicken litter he purchases from a looking for calving ease, good weaning neighbor most years, with soil tests deterweight, high fertility and milk produc- mining which years he needs to skip and tion. Although he used some AI, most use nitrogen and potash instead. were naturally bred with bulls usually When the drought came, Odell decided purchased at a registered Limousin sale. not to buy hay and sold off most of his Odell sold heifers and bred heifers, as Limousin herd, retaining five or six regiswell as breeding age bulls and provided a tered cows. His new commercial herd uses fertility guarantee with his bulls backed Angus bulls selected by EPDs with the up by veterinary same preferences testing. as he used for his In addition Limousin bulls to daily chores, and now consists one of Evelyn’s of 75 Limousin contributions influenced momto the registered mas serviced by Limousin operathree registered tion was keepBlack Angus ing the detailed bulls. records neces“I learned a lot sary for a regiswhen raising my tered herd. She registered herd had one noteand apply the book for regsame attention – Odell Ray istration papers and to detail and a spiral notebook for methods with daily data such as birth my commercial and weaning weights. herd,” Odell said. “Keeping records had Feeding regimens were important in become too much of a chore, and this is the Ray Limousin operation. what is best for us now.” Because he wanted strong, agile bulls Evelyn is a full partner. She liked to keep to sell, Odell carefully managed their or wide variety of animals, including a dairy nutritional levels so they had enough cow or two to supply milk for the family. grain for growth and strength, but not They fondly remember one half Holstein, enough for excess fat which would make half Guernsey cow that raised eight calves, them less desirable for breeding. Grain two every 10 weeks, while still supplying rations also helped keep them docile. the family with milk. Evelyn learned to Breeding bulls received a daily grain ra- make butter and cottage cheese and even tion after being pulled from the cows in how to back up a truck and trailer. order to regain strength and vitality be“The Lord has given us good health fore the next breeding season. and ample opportunities to earn and Calves and first time heifers had ac- live a good life, and we are grateful,” said cess to creep feeders because Limousins Odell as Evelyn nodded in agreement.

“Buying the farm meant working very hard all of the time with no spare time for a social life.”

MAY 16, 2016

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ozarks

roots

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home na Hine

Photo by Katri

The Life and Times

of Bunky By Katrina Hine

Memories of teams of horses used for fieldwork and a trained buffalo on Letterman A boy’s dreams often become the building blocks of what a man becomes later in life. However, determination, character and grit is what brings those dreams to a reality, often requiring one to hold that dream by the tail and chase the wind with abandon. For Bunky Boger, life has been one exciting moment after another holding onto that dream. Bunky, now just shy of 86, was born in Fort Smith, Ark., and named by his parents after a comic strip character. By age 6, his love for all things Western would be cultivated by summers on a large ranch in Arlington, Wyo., owned by family friend, Alvie Dixon. Each summer, Bunky would travel by train, making his first solo trip from Kansas City at age 8, across the Midwest to the remote Wyoming expanse where his trusty steed, Midnight, was awaiting him. Twelve teams of horses were hitched each day to work in the hayfields, 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. “This was a time when the whole world traveled at the speed of a horse,” Bunky quipped. These early experiences solidified in his mind that he wanted to be a cowboy. Bunky began bull riding and bulldogging, but soon realized that being a rodeo clown actually paid you instead of having to pay entry fees. “To be a rodeo clown, you need to have guts, know when to wait and know when to move,” Bunky said. “I was making $75 a day and then $100, Boy I thought I’d never have a poor day.” He found he had a knack for training animals, beginning with a Border Collie named Jip, later a mini Brahma named

Bunky Boger and his wife Connie, pictured at right with a trained Watusi, travel with more than 200 animals with their Farm to the Fair educational program. Pictured at lower right, Bunky and his trained buffalo, Cody. Submitted Ph

oto

Honest John. He went on to perform in many circuses and fairs. However, he is possibly most famous for his trained buffalo, Cody appeared in the July 1981 issue of National Geographic jumping through a fiery hoop. “A lot of people would come up to us and tell us they have a gentle buffalo but I’d tell ’em, ‘It’s a long way to the fiery hoop,”’ Bunky said with a laugh. Bunky has rubbed elbows with the likes of Wick Peth, Bobby McAfee, Jim Shoulders, Clem McSpadden and Feke Tooke, and worked rodeos at such places as Madison Square Gardens, Cheyenne Frontier Days and worked a barrel at the 1975 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. He appeared on the David Letterman show in 1985 with, Cody, meeting Bob Hope before the show. Bunky tells of a rodeo in Neosho, Mo., where he met two cowboys living in a stall. One cowboy hoped to become a roper, but was concerned that the bald tires on his car wouldn’t get him back to Wisconsin. His name was Mel Potter, who is perhaps best known for what would become Ocean Spray Cranberries. Mel was inducted into the Legends of ProRodeo in 2015. Bunky’s wife of 43 years, Connie, is no stranger to rural life, growing up on a ranch in South Dakota, miles from any community; she rode horseback to school every

day. She is very active in the training their animals. Their focus changed direction in 1994 when they realized a large portion of the population had no concept of what agriculture was about or had misguided ideas about how farmers and ranchers managed their operations. Their answer was to develop a Farm to the Fair educational program, which they have taken from coast to coast and Puerto Rico, focusing on urban locales that have very few, if any, farm animals or agricultural displays. The program educates children and adults on where their food comes from and the effort it takes to bring that food to their table. Among some of the activities available is the opportunity to milk a cow, bottle feed calves, pet different breeds of cattle, sheep and goats, or watch baby chicks hatch.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

The couple spends nearly seven months on the road, traveling with five semis, 200 plus farm animals, a crew of 12 and all the necessities to care for the menagerie. They admit people who fail to understand agriculture harass them but they consider it an opportunity to educate those mistaken notions. “We feel that we are doing something that is very important because some of what rural American is about is being lost,” Connie said. MAY 16, 2016

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agri-business meeting the needs of farmers

BROADEN YOUR HORIZON

Larson Farm and Lawn Story and Photo By Terry Ropp

Owner: Glen Larson Location: Harrison, Ark. (Bellefonte, Ark.) Location manager: Phillip Branch (pictured) History: Glen Larson bought John Deere dealerships in Missouri in the early 2000s to add to his Peterbilt holdings, later purchasing the Harrison, Ark., dealership in 2006. “We moved to our current location in Bellefonte, (Ark.) in November 2007,” manager Phillip Branch said. “I was hired in as a salesman January 2007, and was promoted to manager five years ago. Our business has almost tripled in size in terms of staff, facility and sales.” Products and Services: The dealership specializes in John Deere equip-

ment for lawn and garden, as well as agriculture with tractors from 18 to 180 horsepower. Larson’s also carries a full line of Stihl equipment, as well as Honda mowers, generators and tillers. “Our service department is an important component of the business. We have seven certified technicians and field servicemen with a broad range of experience on a variety of makes and models since we will work on whatever the customer brings in,” Phillip explained. “We maintain a mobile truck to accommodate our servicemen. In addition to three salespeople and myself, we have a parts department with four fulltime employees and a manager providing parts for all makes and models.”

Philosophy and future: “When purchased, the dealership was not doing well. We were able to bring the business back because of our customer service,” Phillip said. “We help customers understand that they need to think in terms of a return on the original investment for equipment because the right piece of equipment can make back that initial investment in four to five years. Another part of my job is to help employees learn how to create a friendly and inviting environment while providing support and education to our customers. The last two years we’ve had the number one producing service department in the company, based on labor performance and expect our dealership to continue to grow.” MAY 16, 2016

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Improving An Operation By Terry Ropp

Ranch manager Jason Dildines works to increase the cash flow, profitability of Clear Creek Ranch Finding “home” sometimes takes time. This was the case for the Dildines, who lived in a variety of places until two years ago when Jason landed a job in Rose Bud, Ark., managing 2,000 owned and leased acres. His wife Joy soon found a local teaching position at Nemo Vista Elementary, with 10-year-old daughter Jordan fitting right in.

and the owners took good care of him,” Jason said. “I knew from that they would be very good to work for and the last two years have proved me right.” An important contribution to ranch profitability is the addition of a custom grazing and preconditioning operation to increase cash flow. The number of cattle in this part of the Clear Creek operation ranges from 500 to

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Jason Dildines, pictured with his wife Joy and daughter Jordan, manages the Clear Creek Ranch in Rose Bud, Ark., which provides custom grazing and preconditioning to other cattle producers.

“Dad manages the cows, mom manages 1,000 head, depending upon the time of the the books, but I manage everything,” year, with the transportation to the ranch and to next destination provided by Clear Jordan quipped. “If truth be told, the only one around Creek Ranch. Customers pay either a daily here who can do everything is Joy,” Ja- fee for about 60 days or by weight gained for up to six months grazing with castrating, son added. Wingfield and Bobbi Ann Martin, vaccinations and care as needed, not unand Pat and Laura Mehaffey own Clear common since these calves rarely have had Creek Ranch. The manager position shots and are susceptible to the variety of illnesses categorized as shipping opened when the previous fever. The calves typically start manager retired, and Jason at 500 pounds, gaining 1 to 1 ½ was thrilled with the opporRose Bud, Ark. pounds per day. tunity to reorganize and try “Years ago, feed yards fed out new ideas to increase ranch both larger and smaller cattle, profitability. “The previous manager had — Continued on Page 16 been with them for 40 years,

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

town &

country Coming July 18th

in the field and in the office

Chris Fenton Story and Photo By Terry Ropp

Family: Wife, Susan Fenton; with sons Kass, 14; Kix 11; and Kord, 9 Hometown: Poteau, Okla. Town Life: Chris Fenton is the president and director of the Central National Bank in Poteau, Okla. The bank has branches in Heavener, Panama, Pocola and Stigler. “I have been with the bank for 20 years and began as a vice president, but have served as president for the last 11 years. Our children go to the Poteau schools and are involved in football, basketball, track and baseball,” Chris said. “The boys also enjoy showing cattle and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. I am involved in the Leflore County Child Advocacy Network, which aids abused and neglected children. I also serve as a director of the Leflore County Development Coalition, which seeks to enhance economic development through business recruitment and improving the business environment for existing businesses in the area. I serve as a trustee on the Carl Albert State College Foundation and serve as a director for The Bankers Bank in Oklahoma City.” Country Life: “Our operation consists of approximately 2,500 acres of leased and owned land. The operation is definitely a family-oriented venture. My brother, Dr. Kevin Fenton, and I manage around 400 cows, utilizing artificial insemination and embryo transplant in an effort to improve our genetic base. The cow herd consists of registered Angus, Simmental, Hereford and Charolais. The ranching operation is located in Leflore and Haskell counties. We focus on phenotype, efficiency and performance traits when selecting replacement females and sire selection. The 74-51 Cattle Company in Fairmont, Okla., has purchased our bull calves for several years and our heifer calves are primarily sold private treaty to repeat customers. In terms of our cow base, we believe profitability begins with a very moderate frame along with essential maternal qualities. Our cows need to be sound and fertility is mandatory.” Future: “Currently, we joke about our cattle may spook if they see us in the daylight hours,” Chris said. “Time requirements of the operation and our jobs keep us spread very thin. We will continue to grow and expand the operation when feasible. We will also continue look for ways to better manage input costs and improve herd quality through better genetics. We have successfully marketed semen and embryos and we believe this sector of our operation will continue to grow as well.” MAY 16, 2016

The Ozarks’ Only Ag Resource Directory The directory will be mailed to more than 10,000 farm families across northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The Farm Hand contains listings of ag-businesses & the products or services they provide. This directory will be used and kept by farmers in our area year-round.

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market sales reports

bulls

(Week of 5/1/16 to 5/7/16)

beef

80.00-104.00 † 87.50-105.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock Barry County Regional Stockyards Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

92.00-110.00* 93.00-110.00 † 90.00-109.00*

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 118.00-129.00; wtd. avg. price 125.52. Heifers: 119.00-129.00; wtd. avg. price 126.36. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 192.00-200.00; wtd. avg. price 198.23. Heifers: 195.00-200.00; wtd. avg. price 198.45.

88.00-106.00 † 95.00-98.00 † 87.00-100.00* Not Reported* 80.00-104.00 † 86.00-101.00 †

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

1125.00, Common 540.00- 670.00 ind Jersey 700.00, ind crossbred 610.00. Milking Cows: Medium 870.00-1075.00, Common 480.00-700.00. 5/8/16 Springer Cows: Medium 1050.00-1130.00, crossbreds 885.00-925.00, Common ind 800.00. Bred Cows: Medium 1030.00-1075.00, ind Jersey 800.00, few crossbreds 970.00-980.00, Common 650.00-850.00, crossbreds 760.00-885.00. Baby Calves: Holstein heifers Scarce, Holstein bulls 185.00-275.00, Jersey heifers Scarce, Jersey bulls 95.00110.00, crossbred heifers 260.00-285.00, crossbred bulls 185.00-275.00, beef cross heifers-few 315.00-325.00, beef cross bulls ind 335.00.

dairy cattle

80.00-105.00 † 86.00-107.00 † 84.00-108.00* 86.00-106.50 †

Springfield, Mo. • Springfield Livestock Marketing Center

4/26/16

Receipts: 637 The supply and the demand were moderate and included 80.00-95.00 † a herd dispersal. There was 07 percent springer heifers, 85.00-108.50 † 13 percent bred heifers, 23 percent open heifers, 03 94.00-111.00* percent fresh cows, 07 percent milking cows, 09 percent 85.00-129.00 † bred and springer cows, and 05 percent baby calves. The 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 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 1375.00-1600.00, ind crossbred 1400.00, Approved 1220.00-1350.00, Jerseys 1300.00-1325.00, crossbreds (Week of 5/1/16 to 5/7/16) 1250.00-1325.00, Medium 925.00-1050.00, crossbreds † Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy 55.00-83.00 990.00-1100.00. † Ash Flat Livestock Heifers bred three to six months: Supreme 1375.0050.00-80.00 1625.00, ind Jersey 1400.00, Approved 1150.00-1300.00, Barry County Regional Livestock 67.00-90.00* † pkg 2 Jerseys 1325.00, crossbreds 1225.00-1300.00, Benton County Sale Barn 58.00-82.50 Medium 900.00-1025.00, crossbreds 1000.00-1125.00, Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 68.00-82.00* Common 700.00-880.00, crossbreds 800.00- 850.00. Cleburne County Livestock 56.00-79.00 † Heifers bred one to three months: Supreme 1325.0049.00-75.50 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff 1360.00, Approved ind 1125.00, Medium 800.00-900.00, 70.00-83.00* Decatur Livestock Auction ind Jersey 900.00, crossbreds 885.00-940.00, Common Not Reported* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita 700.00-800.00. Farmers Livestock - Springdale 55.00-77.00 † Open Heifers: Approved 150-295 lbs 360.00- 450.00, Ft. Smith Livestock 50.00-79.50 † crossbreds 310.00-435.00, 325-385 lbs ind 425.00, few I-40 Livestock - Ozark 47.00-83.00 † crossbreds 535.00-550.00, 425-498 lbs 535.00-675.00, ind Joplin Regional Stockyards 51.00-86.00 † crossbred 725.00, 515-590 lbs 660.00-785.00, crossbreds Mid-State Stockyards 60.00-86.00* 700.00-775.00, 605-685 lbs 710.00-775.00, pkg 7 regtr at 55.00-86.00 † North Arkansas Livestock 661 lbs 875.00, 705-755 lbs 760.00-925.00. 65.00-86.50 † OKC West - El Reno Medium: 330-358 lbs pkg 2 at 358 lbs 310.00, crossbreds 45.00-78.00 † Ouachita Livestock 400.00-460.00, 425-455 lbs 425.00-475.00, few crossbreds 55.00-84.50 † Ozarks Regional Stockyards 435.00-510.00, 510-590 lbs 460.00-625.00, crossbreds Stilwell Livestock Auction 72.00-84.00* 510.00-585.00. Tulsa Livestock Auction 65.50-106.00 † Replacement Cows: Fresh Cows: Approved ind 1425.00, 10 30 50 70 90 110 130 Medium few 880.00-1200.00, few crossbreds 1080.00-

slaughter

300-400 lbs. 400-500 lbs. 500-600 lbs. 600-700 lbs. 700-800 lbs.

Bulls, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs. 400-500 lbs. 500-600 lbs. 600-700 lbs. 700-800 lbs.

Heifers, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs. 400-500 lbs. 500-600 lbs. 600-700 lbs. 700-800 lbs.

14 14

cows

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 5/3/16

Ash Flat Livestock

838 Uneven 175.00-196.00 160.00-183.00 140.00-163.00 134.00-145.00 134.00-144.50 ----144.00-175.00 138.00-155.00 128.00-140.00 127.00-128.00 155.00-175.00 140.00-163.00 135.00-147.50 125.00-135.00 -----

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 5/5/16

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

5/6/16

Barry Co. Regional Stockyards* 5/7/16

578

347

1414

St-10 Higher

10-12 Higher

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

goats

Diamond, Mo. • TS Whites Sheep and Goat Sale

5/5/16

Receipts: 1288 Supply was good and demand was very good with a standing room only crowd on hand. Lamb and Ewe markets had a lower undertone compared to last Month while goat markets had a slightly higher undertone. Supply included 16 percent slaughter Ewes and Rams, 33 percent slaughter lambs, 30 percent kid goats, and 14 percent Bucks and Does. All prices are per hundred weight (CWT) Unless noted otherwise. SHEEP: Feeder Lambs: Medium and Large Choice 28-35 lbs 240.00-255.00. Good 2-3 33-37 lbs 230.00-237.50. Utility 3-4 20-30 lbs 200.00-210.00. Slaughter Lambs: Wooled: Choice 2-3 40-85 lbs 220.00230.00. Good 2-3 63-75 lbs 180.00-205.00; Old Crop 80-94 lbs 140.00-165.00; 108-145 lbs 120.00-135.00. Hair Lambs: Good 1-2 40-63 lbs 220.00-240.00; 65-75 lbs 200.00-210.00. Good 2-3 42-60 lbs 210.00-217.50; 76-88 lbs 165.00-180.00. Slaughter Ewes: Wooled: Utility 3-4 128-141 lbs 70.0082.50. Culls 135-235 lbs 52.50-70.00. Hair Ewes: Good 2-3 65-145 lbs 110.00-125.00; 165-170 90.00-105.00. Utility 3-4 69-103 lbs 125.00-140.00. Cull 3-4 65-240 lbs 62.50-90.00. Several replacement hair rams 2-3 years old 250.00-340.00 Per Head. Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 2-3 105-380 lbs 60.00-90.00. Feeder kids: Several groups of Dairy and dairy cross bottle babies 30.00-50.00 per head. Boer bottle babies 50.00-90.00 per head. Selection 1 20-38 lbs 260.00-295.00.

Selection 2 22-38 lbs 230.00-255.00. Selection 3 22-37 lbs 180.00-210.00. Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 40-65 lbs 280.00-295.00; 7095 lbs 220.00-240.00. Selection 2 40-85 lbs 250.00-275.00. Selection 3 42-70 lbs 200.00-235.00. Families: several Boer and Boer cross does with single or twin kids 85.00-115.00 per head. Slaughter Does: Selection 1 100-130 lbs 165.00-200.00. Selection 2 60-158 lbs 130.00-160.00. Selection 3 60-85 lbs 100.00-125.00. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 2 70-135 lbs 140.00-150.00. Selection 3 76-180 lbs 115.00-125.00.

Decatur Livestock*

5/4/16

County Line Sale Ratcliff 5/4/16

1044

215

200

528

St-20 Higher

2-12 Lower

St-4 Higher

2-10 Lower

4-8 Lower

170.00-200.00 155.00-171.00 140.00-155.00 135.00-150.00 139.00-141.00

188.00-202.00 166.00-204.50 148.00-179.00 152.00-157.00 142.00

162.00-182.50 155.00-179.00 145.00-168.50 140.00-156.50 119.00-140.00

175.00-184.00 164.00-180.00 153.00-165.00 ---------

----166.00-177.50 147.50-157.00 145.00-150.00 -----

190.00-225.00 175.00-190.00 158.00-172.00 150.00-161.00 140.00-148.00

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

----148.00-158.00 140.00-146.00 132.00-137.00 115.00-121.00

181.00-199.00 149.00-180.00 142.00-164.00 134.00-147.00 -----

150.00-170.00 145.00-168.00 135.00-152.00 115.00-140.00 115.00-130.00

----148.00-170.00 130.00-154.00 135.00-138.00 -----

----150.00-162.50 135.00-140.00 124.00-143.00 -----

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

155.00-170.00 142.00-153.00 131.00-141.00 130.00-134.00 115.00-129.00

150.00-208.50 140.00-176.00 128.00-158.00 129.00-139.00 122.00-140.00

153.00-180.00 140.00-155.00 130.00-147.00 120.00-134.00 115.00-132.00

163.00-170.00 143.00-164.00 141.00-149.00 ----130.00

170.00 140.00-155.00 147.00-155.00 130.00-137.00 -----

175.00-186.00 162.00-175.00 143.00-152.00 130.00-142.00 124.00-128.00

5/3/16

Nati

prices

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale ----5/6/16

Ft. Smith Livestock 5/2/16

I-40 Livestock Ozark 5/5/16

Joplin Regiona Stockyard 5/2/16

-----

674

200

645

3551

-----

3-15 Higher

Uneven

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

183.00-205.00 160.00-191.00 150.00-180.00 153.00 -----

--------152.00-164.00 130.00-136.00 -----

181.00-192.00 180.00-188.00 164.00-179.00 145.00-152.50 132.00-134.00

182.00-204.0 168.00-192.0 139.00-191.0 134.00-163.0 139.00-147.5

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

185.00-196.00 157.00-188.00 148.00-157.00 129.00-154.00 114.00-130.00

----160.00-164.00 146.00-150.00 ---------

----154.00-163.00 130.00-142.00 134.00-143.00 -----

192.50-210.0 165.00-175.0 149.00-158.0 128.00-141.0 -----

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

158.00-174.00 140.00-174.00 133.00-151.00 126.00-139.00 128.00-130.00

170.00 148.00-154.00 133.00-143.00 124.00-129.00 -----

170.00-189.00 150.00-165.00 140.00-152.00 134.00-139.00 120.00-133.00

167.50-185.0 138.00-173.0 133.00-154.0 137.00-152.0 128.00-133.0

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Slau Sele

Che $1.3 and Flu the yiel Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market 4/26/16 butt Man Receipts: 850 vary Supply doubled from last month and demand was very froz good with a standing room only crowd. All markets seas were mostly Steady to higher compared to last month. The supply made up of 58 percent Slaughter and feeder drye East Lambs, 13 percent ewes and rams, 18 percent kid Goats, and 6 percent Does and bucks. All prices are per vari crea hundred weight (CWT) unless noted otherwise. 1.16 SHEEP: Feeder Lambs: Choice 2-3 20-34 lbs 235.00-242.50. Good SPO PO 2-3 20-31 lbs 220.00-230.00. Mid Slaughter Lambs: Wool lambs: Choice 2-3 65-95 lbs 215.00-230.00. Hair lambs: Prime 2-3 40-66 lbs 235.00-240.00. Choice 3-4 40-75 lbs 220.00-232.50. Utility and Good 3-4 54-90 lbs 210.00-217.50. Wooled Ewes: Cull and Utility 2-3 132-214 lbs 67.5086.00. Slaughter Hair Ewes: Good 1-2 85-103 lbs 103.00-120.00; 118-120 lbs 123.00-126.00; 135-160 lbs 86.00-101.00. Cull 4-5 100-111 lbs 90.00-95.00. Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 2-3 110-235 lbs 76.00-95.00. Feeder kids: Selection 1 20-38 lbs 260.00-280.00. Selection 2 27-39 lbs 227.50-243.00. Selection 3 26-30 lbs 180.00. Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 40-60 lbs 280.00-299.00; 9095 lbs 200.00-215.00. Selection 2 55-75 lbs 255.00-275.00. Selection 3 40-70 lbs 180.00-205.00. Several drafts of fancy 1-2 year old does from a herd dispersal. 150.00205.00 per head. Slaughter Does: Selection 1 70-125 lbs 190.00-200.00. Selection 2 65-125 lbs 150.00-175.00. Selection 3 60-125 lbs 120.00-140.00.

stocker & feeder

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 5/2/16

121( 5(3257('

Steers, Med. & Lg. 1

sheep &

86.00-109.00 †

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

127 5(3257('

slaughter

MAY 16, 2016

es reports

replacement

Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1 160-175 lbs 140.00-160.00. Selection 2 180 lbs 132.00.

Sorghum

20 16 12 8

4.69

10.69

10.67

4.72

6.00 4.71

4.69

3.98

0 Blyt

le hevil

Hele

3.91

Elain

eola

cow/calf

0 4.00 3.00 9.00

Joplin Regional Stockyards 5/2/16

Mid-State Stockyards*

645 Uneven

169.97 175.00

usta

Aug

950

2550

148.73 147.53 143.51

165.12

pairs

* 155.12

175.47

* 170.03

152.19 149.79

169.66

139.16

163.01 161.19 166.97 155.00 164.24 *

146.39 155.08 140.47 145.01 *

159.55

145.24 146.96

158.31 158.03

131.74

* 144.93

165.54

1225.00 †

157.24

168.82

1050.00-2000.00 †

142.57

152.40

1450.00-2075.00* None Reported †

1950

146.83

170.00

1000.00-1750.00 * 1200.00-1725.00 † 1475.00-2750.00 †

1450

160.63 155.83 151.30

166.83

1250.00-1500.00 †

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

450

I-40 Livestock Ozark 5/5/16

169.01

3.92

Osc

147.67

181.75

Week of 4/17/16

Corn

147.43

169.82

985.00-1625.00 †

138.02

164.93

2450

2950

5/2/16

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 5/4/16

OKC West - El Reno, Okla. 5/4/16

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. 5/6/16

Ozarks Regional West Plains 5/3/16

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 5/4/16

Tulsa Livestock Auction 5/2/16

3551

421

960

10641

445

2594

739

1713

Uneven

St-5 Higher

Uneven

St-2 Higher

-----

Uneven

4-8 Lower

4-9 Higher

145.50 165.50 ** 158.28 *

138.02 140.97 ** 142.67 142.06

150.48

140.74 135.31

148.76

134.82

151.50 167.16

147.99 149.37

166.35

** 154.76

170.10

182.00-204.00 168.00-192.00 139.00-191.00 134.00-163.00 139.00-147.50

170.00-205.00 165.00-174.00 160.00-169.00 136.00-155.00 -----

188.00-195.00 166.00-185.00 156.00-176.00 142.00-157.50 -----

187.50 170.00-187.00 162.00-178.00 137.00-170.50 121.00-155.50

190.00-220.00 177.00-188.00 153.00-168.00 146.00-159.00 134.00-140.00

190.00-205.00 168.00-192.00 156.00-177.50 149.00-162.00 140.00-145.00

170.00-198.00 160.00-186.00 150.00-166.00 130.00-148.00 105.00-125.00

191.00-206.00 179.00-197.00 161.00-163.00 129.00-150.00 126.00-136.50

----154.00-163.00 130.00-142.00 134.00-143.00 -----

192.50-210.00 165.00-175.00 149.00-158.00 128.00-141.00 -----

164.00-200.00 160.00-172.00 144.00-158.00 120.00-141.00 105.00-133.00

187.00-193.00 156.00-169.00 144.00-162.00 133.00-140.00 127.00-131.00

----142.00-163.50 142.00-143.00 139.00-141.00 -----

----166.00-170.00 149.00-158.00 131.00-143.00 130.00-133.00

166.00-179.00 152.00-174.00 140.00-156.00 126.00-135.00 124.00-125.00

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

179.00-189.00 159.00-176.00 151.00-162.00 ---------

170.00-189.00 150.00-165.00 140.00-152.00 134.00-139.00 120.00-133.00

167.50-185.00 138.00-173.00 133.00-154.00 137.00-152.00 128.00-133.00

159.00-185.00 150.00-171.00 138.00-150.00 125.00-133.00 -----

158.00-180.00 148.00-166.50 132.00-148.00 124.00-143.00 120.00-125.00

156.00-178.00 159.00-174.00 151.00-173.50 140.50-159.00 129.00-139.30

178.00-193.00 166.00-174.00 137.00-143.00 132.00-140.00 129.00-132.00

172.00-185.00 149.00-192.00 135.00-162.50 125.00-162.50 125.00-141.00

150.00-179.00 140.00-160.00 125.00-146.00 118.00-140.00 105.00-125.00

169.00-179.00 155.00-174.00 153.00-161.00 130.00-146.00 118.00-132.00

135.50

155.27

140.28

165.09 *

* 162.14

Week of 5/1/16

181.00-192.00 180.00-188.00 164.00-179.00 145.00-152.50 132.00-134.00

Week of 5/1/16

4.00 0.00

170.80

800.00-1700.00 † 1350.00-1775.00 *

2050

165.03 150.98

Week of 4/24/16

Soft Wheat

* 169.35

770.00-1260.00 †

1550

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

177.00

925.00-1950.00 †

1050

Feb. 16 Mar. 16 Apr. 16

heifers 550-600 LBS.

Week of 4/17/16

Soybeans

ices

4.00 6.00

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

1050.00-1700.00 † 1050.00-1835.00* Barry County Reg Benton County Sale Barn 1350.00-1925.00 † 1275.00-1900.00* Cattlemen’s Livestock Cleburne County Livestock Auction None Reported † County Line Sale - Ratcliff 1425.00-1450.00 † Decatur Livestock Auction 1600.00-2325.00* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Not Reported * Farmers Livestock 1000.00-1950.00 † 1250.00 † Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock - Ozark 1525.00 † Joplin Regional 1050.00-2250.00 †

Week Ended 5/10/16

July 15 Aug. 15 Sept. 15 Oct. 15 Nov. 15 Dec. 15 Jan. 16

steers 550-600 LBS.

850.00-1700.00 †

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

Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock

avg. grain prices

ion 1 70-125 lbs 190.00-200.00. 150.00-175.00. Selection 3 60-125

May 15 June 15

700.00-1425.00 *

Mid-State Stockyard North Arkansas Livestock

550

$140

(Week of 5/1/16 to 5/7/16)

d Utility 2-3 132-214 lbs 67.50-

$175

Ash Flat Livestock 840.00-1450.00 † Barry County Regional 850.00-1400.00* Benton County Sale Barn 885.00-1250.00 † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1000.00-1325.00 * 77.00-109.00 † Prices reported per cwt Cleburne County Livestock Auction 900.00-1000.00 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff 1300.00-1800.00* Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Not Reported* Farmers Livestock 800.00-1525.00 † Ft. Smith Livestock 74.00-124.00 † Prices reported per cwt I-40 Livestock - Ozark 1200.00-1250.00 † 875.00-1450.00 † Joplin Regional Stockyards

Week of 4/10/16

Arkansas Cattle Auction

40-66 lbs 235.00-240.00. Choice 32.50. Utility and Good 3-4 54-90

ith ck

850.00-1475.00 †

$210

Week of 4/10/16

dairy sales

ion 1 40-60 lbs 280.00-299.00; 90election 2 55-75 lbs 255.00-275.00. 80.00-205.00. Several drafts of from a herd dispersal. 150.00-

cows

$245

550-600 lb. steers

(Week of 5/1/16 to 5/7/16)

ion 1 40-65 lbs 280.00-295.00; 70election 2 40-85 lbs 250.00-275.00. 00.00-235.00. and Boer cross does with single or per head. National Dairy Market at a Glance 5/6/16 ion 1 100-130 lbs 165.00-200.00. Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.3000 and 40# blocks at 130.00-160.00. Selection 3 60-85 $1.3050. The weekly average for barrels is $1.3475 (-.0550) and blocks, $1.3270(-.0530). ction 2 70-135 lbs 140.00-150.00. Fluid Milk: Farm milk output is up this week in most areas of 115.00-125.00. the country. However, higher temperatures are shrinking milk yields in Florida, California and Arizona. Nationwide, the ock Market 4/26/16 butterfat component level of milk continues falling, gradually. Manufacturing milk volumes are heavy. Bottled milk orders vary throughout the country. Demands from ice cream and st month and demand was very frozen dessert makers are generally improving as the summer oom only crowd. All markets season approaches. Condensed skim volumes moving into higher compared to last month. 58 percent Slaughter and feeder dryers are heavy. Cream supplies are readily available in the East and Central regions. Competition for cream between es and rams, 18 percent kid Does and bucks. All prices are per various manufacturers is growing in the West. This week, cream multiples for all classes range 1.05-1.28 in the East, T) unless noted otherwise. 1.16-1.22 in the Central region, and 1.04-1.25 in the West. 50 2-3 20-34 lbs 235.00-242.50. Good SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper 30.00. Midwest - $2.3873-2.5108. ol lambs: Choice 2-3 65-95 lbs

Good 1-2 85-103 lbs 103.00-120.00; .00; 135-160 lbs 86.00-101.00. Cull 95.00. Good 2-3 110-235 lbs 76.00-95.00. 1 20-38 lbs 260.00-280.00. 27.50-243.00. Selection 3 26-30

12 Month Avg. -

$280

Week of 4/24/16

30.00-255.00. Selection 3 22-37 lbs

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

155.86 165.85 154.21

141.77 * 139.98

145.53 160.59

144.49 140.48

153.18 *

162.33

MAY 16, 2016

142.88 140.37

138.92

162.94 130

144 158 172 186 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

200

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

120

132 144 156 168 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

180

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

15 15

meet your neighbors Improving An Operation Continued from Page 12 but have found more profitability by feeding out only larger cattle, thus creating a middleman niche that we fill,” Jason said. “For the feedlots, the return per head is not high but not a concern because the feedlot business is a numbers business with profit coming from the huge numbers of cattle they feed out.” Clear Creek Ranch runs 300 mommas, primarily Angus, Hereford and Angus/Hereford cross. They maintain 20 purebred Angus or Hereford bulls. The calf crop is predominantly a spring one and sold by private treaty in groups. “They are worth more as a group than they are individually,” Jason said. The ranch leases and sells commercial breeding bulls, as well as calves that are weaned at 550 pounds, sometimes not preconditioned when sold at weaning and sometimes kept up to 800 pounds, depending upon market conditions. The ranch goal is to increase herd size to 500 mommas and sell 50 bulls per year, at which time they may discontinue the custom grazing and preconditioning operation. Last year, they had an especially good crop of heifers and kept them all, using some to replace culled cows and others for herd growth. That group of heifers reached a 90 percent pregnancy rate. The intention is to continue retaining 20 to 25 percent, using 10 percent to replace undesirable cows, with the remaining 15 percent used to increase herd size. Jason finds that minerals and parasite control are the largest maintenance expenses. The cost is kept to a minimum by natural grazing with feeding as little hay as possible, which meant hay being fed only 45 days this past winter.

“An old man once told me that the smart thing was to stock pastures with the number of animals it would support during a drought year rather than a good year,” Jason said. “That way grazing will always be adequate, so that’s the procedure I follow.” Clear Creek Ranch pastures are mostly Bermuda and ready to add ryegrass because the drought killed all of the fescue, which did not come back when reseeded. Jason fertilizes with a commercial salvage fertilizer, which he maintains performs well and decreases outlay costs significantly. Another savings comes from weeds being sprayed as little as possible. Finally, a rural water system is being installed to provide security during droughts and support for several natural springs running through some pastures. All of these practices help provide a natural grazing system for Clear Creek cattle, a management priority. Jason attributes part of the ranch’s recent successes to the use of day labor cowboys rather than maintaining staff. “I started out as a day laborer, and we couldn’t make it without them,” he recalled. “The help we get is very high quality and trustworthy and will come whenever we need them, which means we get a crowd when we need a crowd and a few when that is all we need. We pay a full day’s wages, even if they only work a few hours so they like coming here.” “I was born and raised on a ranch in Texas. Right now it takes two incomes to survive, but perhaps someday I can work here full-time,” Joy added.

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Any construction on a farm is cause for serious consideration. Bill and Delia Haak of Gentry, Ark., recently decided to undertake building a new double-sided, 11-stall parabone milker, rapid exit dairy barn to complete their 1,000 owned and rented acreage in Decatur, Ark., as well as Gentry. “Only the Lord could have designed and put all this together, and we are very thankful,” Bill said. The couple started dairy farming in 1979 with a six-stall flat barn. In 1990, an opportunity to buy 90 acres half a mile away and possessing an 11-stall, herringbone milk barn arose. After nearly “I thought that was 40 years in where I was going to rethe dairy tire, but it had a creek in business, Bill the middle that the cattle Haak finally had to cross, not an ideal has the situation,” Bill recalled. dairy barn In 2012, land prices that fits his were depressed and situacriteria. tions presented themselves where Bill was able to take Nearly a year to the day later, Bill fiadvantage of the situation. The process required creative and detailed nally started milking at his new facility. The new Haak property was flat with no planning, which included trading land for land and selling the vast majority of rocks and no creek. Bill dug a well and his 240-head herd to build the new barn successfully negotiated for gas and electric lines. He told his wife he and to buy additional dairy wanted to build the new dairy heifers. Bill maintained his Gentry, Ark. barn, which she fully supportoriginal dairy herd and had ed as long as they did not go an arrangement with the new deeper in debt because they are owner of dairy barn he sold approaching retirement age. that allowed him to continue Although Bill designed the new milking there until he got his facility, he used advice from a variety new barn built.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

meet your neighbors of people and was his own general contractor. Bill considered not having a pit until his dairyman friend, Don Mayer, explained that Bill was only going to build one barn and having no steps, especially considering his age, was more than worth the money. In addition, Bill drove to Louisville, Ky., to see a quick-exit barn using a feeder with a hydraulic lift that allows cows a quick and easy exit. Bill made modifications to the design and had Jim Koiman of Marshfield, Mo., fabricate the device. The exact building site, in the middle of the 240acre site, was also important to provide shorter and easier access for the cattle, even though an access road had to be built for milk trucks. While he has only four fenced pastures at the moment, Bill is planning on expanding that to 13 to be supported by nine waterers and 6,000 feet of water lines he recently installed. All of Bill’s planning seems to be working because in mid-April his cows were producing 70 pounds of milk per day, per cow. Cows receive grain only in the barn. The Haak dairy is a pasture-based operation, using no till wheat and rye for fall, winter and spring grazing, with Sudangrass and Bermuda providing summer grazing. The land is soil tested and broadcast sprayed with a commercial fertilizer. The Haaks harvest 3,000 round bales of hay per year, some of which they sell. Bill is currently milking 80 Holstein and Holstein/Jersey cross cows, with the goal of reaching 200 by September. He purchased 32 first-calf Holstein/Jersey bred heifers that have calved and another 47 that will calve from May to September from

from Charles Coblentz in Oklahoma. Bill also has 50 of his own heifers to add to the growing herd. He keeps all his dairy heifers as replacements and steers are sold at 800 pounds. The Haaks also have a 40-head Angus/Holstein cross commercial herd with purpose to provide cash flow for larger annual expenses, such as fertilizer. Two full-time and two part-time employees support the operation. “We start our day by getting together where I get the latest information on herd health, including cows that are about to calve. Then we plan our day,” Bill explained. Bill and Delia, who is the executive director of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, met in high school in Phoenix, Ariz., when they were 14 years old. Their first date was the 1972 Fiesta Bowl and where they had their first kiss. “My wife and I have always been a team and without her none of this would’ve been possible,” Bill said. The couple has two sons, Luke and Jake. When their sons were ready to go to college, Bill made them a deal: if they graduated college and stayed out of trouble, they could pick any 5 acres to build a home on his family land. Youngest son Jake quickly demanded, “define trouble,” Bill recalled. Both have new homes on family land where Bill and Delia are enjoying their seven grandchildren.

“

“My wife and I have always been a team and without her none of this would’ve been possible.” – Bill Haak

MAY 16, 2016

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Who is the most influential person in your life?

“There are a lot of influential people but one of them would be my mom because she cooks, make sure I do my homework, pressures me about grades and helps me learn how to care for the animals properly.”

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

“We have cows, as well as one sow soon to be bred as a new production venture. I also have show pigs and get them in October to show from December through March. Chores include caring for the pigs by feeding, watering and training as well as helping my dad feed the cows and our mixed breed sow after school. I’ve even castrated once or twice.”

What are some of your agricultural memories?

“I remember helping my dad pick out show pigs when I started to show when I was 10. We didn’t always live on a farm so I knew nothing about what I was looking for. Instead, I was looking for a cool color. My first pig was Purdy, and I have no idea why I named her that. I also had one pig that was nasty all the time because it loved the mud so I named it Dirty. One kind of scary but cool memory is when a momma cow recently lost a baby. She thought a different one was hers and I was between her and the calf. She tried to run me over but my donkey, who never lets me get even close, ran between us and chased her away or I would have been rolled up.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

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The Evolution of Farming By John Kleiboeker

y grandpa Alvin was a full time farmer and saw a lot of change during his 99 years. We loved to listen to his stories about riding to school on horse-back and then using the same horses to pull a binder and wagons full of wheat shocks during summer harvest. Old family pictures document the evolution John Kleiboeker is the from threshing machines to pull-type combines Agricultural/Commerand then self-propelled combines. Many farm cial Lender at Arvest families likely have similar albums, documenting Bank in Monett, Mo. the advancement in technology and sharing the He and his wife, Robyn, pride taken each time an advance was made. and sons operate a I started farming in 1994, just a little before the commercial cow/calf Round-Up Revolution. My first farm needed quite a and Red Angus/SimAnbit of care to get it back into production. The north gus seedstock cattle half had been packed by cattle hooves and the southbusiness near Stotts ern half had been abandoned for a decade or so and City, Mo. was filled with tree sprouts. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time with log chains pulling trees on the south half so we could get ready to plow, which we did. My brother and I each pulled a plow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of us ran four, 16-inch moldboards while the other pulled five, 18-inch moldboards. That was the best way to break that farm out of grass and into grain production at that time. What took place during the next 12 months truly revolutionized crop production since. Equipment, chemical and seed technology advanced to the point that no-till farming became an important production practice not only in the Ozarks, but around the globe. In fact, my brother purchased a farm a couple of miles away from mine in 1996 and on much of it, we sprayed the grass and weeds and no-tilled his first crops into the sod. Obviously, it took an upgrade in planting equipment, but it sure saved us a lot of time and diesel fuel compared to how we prepared my farm for the first planting. In the realm of livestock production, which Southwest Missouri is best known for, the efficiency of producing meat has never been greater. Advancements in genetics and nutrition has allowed us get one pound of gain for every six pounds of feed today, verses one pound for every ten pounds in the 1950s. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m most excited about is what good scientific research has told us about the genome of each species. Electronic technology that has brought us global positioning, variable rate fertilizer spreaders, and now drones will continue to revolutionize farm production. I use my smart phone to monitor markets, compare fertilizer prices, gather weather information and even determine what weeds are lurking in my soybeans. Grandpa Alvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories included such events as receiving the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first tractor with rubber tires, the day the Rural Electric Coop installed electricity for the first time and many other advancements. He certainly witnessed a lot of change during his life and it was awesome watching his great-grandsons teach him how to use an iPad shortly before he passed. As much change as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen in the past 70 years, and especially the past couple of decades, the advancements yet to come will likely dwarf those of the past. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited about what the future of agriculture has in store! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll all adapt and be grateful for the new things to come. MAY 16, 2016

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Tips For Picking Your Contractor By Gary Digiuseppe

Check references, get bids and never pay all costs up front When it comes to selecting a farm building contractor, the best advice may come from the “Great Communicator” himself – President Ronald Reagan, who was fond of using the phrase, ‘Trust, but verify.” A University of Missouri Extension publication, “Selecting and Working With a Farm Building Contractor,” suggests you start by compiling a list of potential contractors from local media, farm magazines, and friends and neighbors who have had construction done recently, From there, it’s time to evaluate prospective contractors. “Any good contractor will be happy to provide potential customers with a list of references, including previous customers,” the publication reads. “Check references thoroughly to find out about workmanship, timeliness and how well each contractor lived up to contract terms. You might also visit with your lending agency representative to get an evaluation of contractors on your list.” Ag4Life, a resource for farm and ranch families published by the state of Oklahoma, says in addition to references you should check with your local Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce to see if any complaints have been filed against the contractor. “Get three bids, and use the same language when explaining the type of work needed,” the publication recommends. “Make sure the contractor can stay within your budget. Get the quote in writing, and be sure it spells out any change order costs.” You should also, it suggests, make sure the agreement specifies only a small down payment and never pay all the money up front. The University of Missouri Extension publication says when difficulties occur, they are almost always the result of poor communication between owner and builder. They offer a checklist of subjects the two should discuss before the deal is signed. One of those is bid alternatives; the farmer may want to be able to execute portions of the plan by himself or herself, like site preparation or equipment installation work, to keep costs down. The cost of the job minus those components should be worked out in advance.

what do you say? How do you advocate for agriculture?

“We hold classes teaching children how to use goats for ecologically sound plant species control, as well as hiring our goats out to maintain public and private areas.”

Connie Estes Washington County, Ark.

“The owner or a representative also should be available at specified times for consultation or interpretation of plans and specifications,” the publication states. A complete set of drawings and written specifications, whether supplied by the owner or the contractor, should be included as a part of the written contract. Nearly every building constructed will experience some changes from original plans and specifications, and the agreement should lay out the procedures for both sides to sign off on the changes. Ag4Life says the contract should also lay out who will be responsible for cleanup of debris and hazardous waste removal, what warranties are being provided, any necessary building permits requirements, and whether the contractor plans to use any sub-contractors. “Make sure that the contractor has insurance and is licensed to do the work required,” they say. “Ask for verification.” The four general types of insurance coverage required to afford complete protection during construction are workmen’s compensation insurance, public liability and property damage insurance, owner’s protective liability, and builder’s risk insurance. Other aspects of the agreement that should be spelled out, the Missouri document says, include who will be responsible for protecting construction materials being stored on site from the elements, and for connection to electric, water, sewer and gas lines as required. “The contractor should be responsible for providing the owner with operational and service manuals for component equipment,” it says. “He also should provide instruction in proper operation of any equipment unfamiliar to the owner.” And the timetable for completion of the project should be established well in advance – particularly if the facility is to be used to house livestock. Ag4Life adds, “Be sure to ask questions for anything you don’t understand. Following these guidelines for hiring a contractor can help you avoid unnecessary frustration, expenses, or delays in construction.” Check out a list of contractors in our Farm Hand Ag Resource Directory.

“I work for the Arkansas Cattlemen’s magazine as a promotion/ media specialist and encourage people to attend monthly cattlemen’s meetings, and by using proper animal care and feed.”

“I tried to send town and city people to Mom’s Day on the Farm, and as a counselor I do a career choice presentation and try to highlight the diversity of agriculture careers, such as in scientific research and business explaining it’s a place they can make a difference.”

“I advocate by lending money to youngsters through a Farm Credit program, which enables them to get a head start when they become adult customers.”

Karen Montgomery Crawford County, Ark.

Michelle Reiff Benton County, Ark.

Jim Taylor Pope County, Ark.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

farm help

Should He Stay or Go? By Gary Digiuseppe

When is the right time to replace a bull in your herd? There are a lot of reasons to consider replacing a bull; the most obvious one is if he can’t get you calves. “Anytime there is a bull fertility issue that leads to not getting the cows bred, you need to think very seriously about getting rid of the bull,” Andrew McCorkill, University of Missouri livestock specialist, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “That is what pays the bills.” He recommended a proactive approach prior to turning the bulls out, by taking them to the vet’s office for a Breeding Soundness Exam. The BSE doesn’t just look at sperm quality; it also examines other aspects of the bull’s well-being, like its ability to get around and to mount. “One of the more common reasons a bull gets culled, other than age, is feet and leg issues,” McCorkill said. “Sometimes it is the result of skeletal structure issues that slow the bull down, or feet problems such as a ‘corkscrew toe.’” It is also a good idea to test bulls for trichomoniasis; the protozoan disease can wreak havoc on a breeding season, leaving you with a very low pregnancy rate and a strungout calving season. If a bull does test positive for trich, it will need to be culled. You could also choose to replace a bull that’s performing reasonably well, simply because “reasonably well” isn’t good enough. Check your production records; do calves from that bull grow at the rate you want, or is there something about them that gets them docked at the sale barn? A check of EPDs can help you find a bull more suited to your needs. McCorkill noted, “The Ozarks are full of small farms that only have use for one bull. When it comes time to replace older cows in the herd, many producers choose to take the route of raising their own heifers to keep because they know what they are getting. If that’s the case, it’s time to upgrade bulls.” Dr. Shane Gadberry, University of Arkansas Extension animal scientist, told OFN your breeding schedule can make a difference in buying a new bull. “If you have a fall confined MAY 16, 2016

breeding season, you might be sourcing bulls at a different time of year than a spring breeding season,” he said. “If you procure bulls at a purebred breeder ranch sale, you have to look at which ranches have spring sales versus fall sales, and how they fit into the age of bull that you’re trying to purchase.” On the other hand, he said there are often more bull offerings in the spring than fall, so you may have to think about making a spring purchase for a fall breeding herd. You may move a bull so you don’t have to keep him around. “If you have a really tight, controlled 60-day breeding season, then you’re owning a bull for another 10 months out of the year. Just dealing with the maintenance costs of bull ownership for one small, controlled-type breeding season may be one consideration to just turn bulls over more readily,” Gadberry pointed out. And there may be the need to replace a bull just due to wear and tear. Gadberry pointed out bulls are more active in the cow herd, and are more prone to injury because of that increased activity. “We tend to lean toward a younger bull as a replacement bull,” he said. “A general rule of thumb that we use with really young bulls is not to expose them to any more females than their month of age. So, you don’t want to expose a 16-18 month old bull to more than 16-18 cows in a controlled breeding season.” One way to get more out of a bull is to have separate spring and fall breeding seasons, so the same bull could service twice as many females without having to bring in reinforcements. But McCorkill said, “The bottom line is, if the bull isn’t earning his keep, you need to get rid of him. Sometimes it’s a tough decision; anyone who has been in the cattle business long enough has had a bull here and there that were great producers that they hated to part with. But when the time comes that they don’t work anymore because of trouble getting around, sub-par fertility, or whatever the reason, you just have to bite the bullet and go searching for his replacement.”

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Controlling Flies on Livestock By Gary Digiuseppe

A pest problem can reduce weight, efficiency and profit in a herd There’s something new in fly control. It’s a new chemistry, reported Dr. Kelly Loftin, University of Arkansas Extension entomologist. “Pyrazole is a new class for livestock, although it’s been used in other areas,” Loftin told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “The trade name for it is Tolfenpro and the active ingredient is tolfenpyrad. Now, for the first time in the three years since organochlorines were taken off the market, we have four classes that can be rotated in ear tags – the pyrethroids, the organophosphates, the macrocyclic lactones and this new class.” Loftin said whether to use tags or pourons depends on the producer. “The advantage of the ear tags is simply if they time the treatment correctly, they may get by with that one application,” he said. “When producers put the tags in too soon in the fly season, in March or April, the tag can become ineffective by the time you hit the fall peaking population.” Flies cause losses to cattle producers each year in several ways. They’re vectors of diseases, like pinkeye and anaplasmosis, but Loftin said the bigger problem is lack of weight gain, and the biggest threat is the horn fly. The pest can reduce calf weaning weights by 18 pounds or more, and they can reduce weight gain in stocker cattle by about 50 pounds in some cases. “Several studies have shown that at a level of only five stable flies per front leg, is great enough to cause a reduction in feed efficiency that would cost $8.51 over the course of the fly season,” University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist Andy McCorkill told OFN. In addition to ear tags and pour-ons, pesticides can be applied topically to cattle in a number of ways. Dust bags are placed in a high traffic area where cattle would commonly come in contact with

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

them, or used to apply the chemical directly to the animal. Back rubbers are also used to apply the insecticide. “There are also spray applications, but it can be labor and time consuming to get enough insecticide on every animal in the herd, even more so because they need to be reapplied fairly often throughout the season. Another option that has gained popularity over the past decade has been the feedthrough larvicide. Horn flies only lay eggs on fresh manure; these products interrupt egg production and are often labeled IGR or “Insect Growth Regulator” on the feed tag. McCorkill said the most common for pasture cattle is S-methoprene, which is sold under the trade name Altosid and is labeled for control of horn flies, but not face flies. Another, diflubenzuron, controls both horn and face flies and is available as a feed additive and a slow release bolus. He said the IGR products have not yet had any reported incidences of resistance, however, one drawback is they only control flies in the area where the products are used. And the best fly control method, but the most difficult to master, is genetic selection of cattle for fly resistance. McCorkill said one study found about 80 percent of the flies distressing a herd were on only 20 percent of the cows. “Much of the research of genetics as a means of fly control was right here in the Ozarks, as part of studies conducted at the University of Arkansas,” he said. “The research concluded that the number of hairs per square inch of body surface was a likely contributor to a particular cow’s tolerance to flies.” In-bred resistance is just one more tool in the box. “For effective control year after year, a long term plan involving several different methods and product types is necessary,” McCorkill said. MAY 16, 2016

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Building from Scratch or Pre-Fab? By Gary Digiuseppe

Cost, use are factors producers should consider when looking at a new structure for their farm Pre-fab is all the rage. More than half the farm buildings constructed in the Ozarks today are selected from the wide variety of “preengineered” structures available from commercial manufacturers or large contracting firms, according to a University of Missouri Extension Publication, “Buying a Packaged Farm Building.” “Package buildings are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they contain features that reflect both the needs of their intended use and the choice of their designer. Their purchase can be compared to that of a tractor or an automobile – there are high-price models, economy units and usually a variety of optional accessories that add to the cost.” Which is best for you? “You can find those prefab barns with designs that are very extravagant to very simple and modest, and I think a lot of your purchase is going to be on what you need it for,” Dr. Evan Whitley, manager at the Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies at the Samuel R. Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., said. “Do you need storage space, which is conducive just to a square barn, or do you need equipment, storage, maybe some fabrication or mechanicking? That’s a different type of barn than one that is just pretty simple in design.” It’s also possible, if you have the expertise, to build your own barn from scratch. Whitely said a manufacturer near Ardmore, Okla., offers both basic materials and prefab buildings complete with construction plans; the plans are also online and provide a materials list, along with a schematic showing the outlay of the barn. If your plans for the barn don’t match the designs available, you may have to combine two or more of them, or come up with unique innovations on an existing design. He highly recommended using a method MAY 16, 2016

that will let you visualize the barn before it’s built. You can do it “the old school way of putting it on a piece of graph paper to scale, or for some of the more modern, computer literate folks, just go into Excel and do the same thing,” Whitley said. “It’s a little bit easier to visualize than if you’re just taking a contractor’s word for it, or looking at some of the spec sheets of some of these prefab buildings.” Once the site for the building has been selected, it needs to be prepared. The Missouri Extension publications says that will involve removing topsoil, leveling the area, and bringing utilities such as water and electricity to the site. As far as ensuring your barn will stand and is safe, Whitley says it’s very similar to building a house. “You want to make sure that your weight bearing metal meets specs,” he said. “Your manufacturer will help you with that. Make sure that your outside walls are of the thickness and the type that will withstand the environmental conditions that you’re expecting the barn to withstand.” The Missouri Extension reconnects says a 4-inch-thick concrete floor is sufficient for most farm buildings. Reinforcing is not necessary if floors are placed over a well-drained, compacted fill material. Floors should be thickened to 8 inches for a distance of 2 feet in from doors where equipment will be entering the building. You also have to make sure the roof is compatible with those prevailing climate conditions, so rain or snow will run off as quickly as possible. Producers might want to get some advice from local metal supplier, who also supplies and talks to contractors. If you’re not comfortable making some of these decisions yourself, it may help to pay a consulting fee to a professional contractor. The important thing, he said, is to have a plan going in.

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calendar

May 2016 19 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – UACCM Audtiorium, Morrilton, Ark. – 501-354-9618 or 501-977-2146 21 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21 Annual Cherokee County Turtle Race – 11 a.m. – Tahlequah City Park Creek, Tahlequah, Okla. – 918-456-6163 24-26 4-H Rabies Clinic – contact North Logan County Extension Office for more info – 479-963-2360 June 2016 1,22,29 Food Preservation Workshop – Pope County Extension Office, Russellville, Ark. – 479-968-7098 3 Rodeo – Booneville, Ark. – contact the South Logan County Extension Office for more information – 479-675-2787 7-8/20 2016 Farmers Market – Tuesdays & Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon – Antioch Baptist Church, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 16 Youth Conservation Day – ages 5-16, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. – Fred Berry Conservation Educations Center, Yellville, Ark. – 870-449-6349 18 8th Annual First Baptist Church South Car Show – 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., registration 8-11 a.m., awards presented at 2:30 p.m. – On Hwy. 16, 3 miles west of Hwy. 75, Beggs, Okla. – 918-482-3272 or meter@ms7.com 18 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 24 Small Rumminant and Grooming and Showmanship Clinic – ages 5-19 – 1 p.m. – Marion County Fairgrounds, Yellville, Ark. – 870-449-6349 25 Paris Butterfly Festival – Paris, Ark. – 479-675-2787 or 479-963-2360 July 2016 7-8 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 14-15 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 16 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21-22 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 August 2016 1 Pope County Fair registration for animals due – Russellville, Ark. – contact Pope County Extension Office for more information – 479-968-7098 9 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m., Cost: $10 – Powell Feed and Fertilizer Store, Flippin, Ark. – 870-449-6349

13-20 Ottawa County Free Fair – Ottawa County Fairgrounds, Miami, Okla. – 918-542-1688 14-20 Madison County Fair – Madison County Fairgrounds, Huntsville, Ark. – 479-738-6826 15 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 16-20 Logan County Fair – Logan County Fairgrounds, Paris, Ark. – 479-963-2360 20 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 20-9/24 2016 Farmers Market – Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon – Antioch Baptist Church, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21-28 Newton County Fair – Newton County Fairgrounds, Jasper, Ark. – 870-446-2240 22-27 Johnson County Fair – Johnson County Fairgrounds, Clarksville, Ark. – 479-754-2240 22-27 North Franklin County Fair – North Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Ark. – 479-667-3720 23-27 Sebastian County Fair – Fairgrounds, Greenwood, Ark. – 479-484-7737 or 479-996-4131 27-9/3 Carroll County Fair – Carroll County Fairgrounds, Berryville, Ark. – 870-423-2958 30-9/3 Washington County Fair – Washington County Fairgrounds, Fayetteville, Ark. – 479-444-1755 September 2016 3 Horse Show – Adair County Fairgrounds, Stilwell, Okla. – 918-696-2253 5-8 Adair County Fair – Adair County Fairgrounds, Stilwell, Okla. – 918-696-2253 6-10 Conway County Fair – Conway County Fairgrounds, Morrilton, Ark. – 501-354-9618 6-10 Cleburne County Fair – Cleburne County Fairgrounds, Heber Springs, Ark. – 501-362-2524 7-10 LeFlore County Fair – LeFlore County Fairgrounds, Poteau, Okla. – 918-647-8231

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 16, 2016

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory Angus

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

Balancers

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504 Martin Cattle Company Judsonia, Ark. 501-278-7614

Brangus

4G Brangus - Gravette, Ark. 479-640-0282 Hatfield Brangus Bentonville, Ark. - 479273-3921 - 479-531-2605 Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 - www. rosebudfeeders.com Townsend Brangus - Rose Bud, Ark. - 501-9400299 - 501-556-2046 TRO-GIN Brangus Ranch - Booneville, Ark. 479-675-4420

Charolais

Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 - www. rosebudfeeders.com

Gelbvieh

Martin Cattle Company Judsonia, Ark. 501-278-7614 Triple D Farms Mountain Home, Ark. 870-481-5603

Herefords

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

Sim Angus

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504

Simmental

Lazy U Ranch - Haskell, Okla. - 918-693-9420

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Livestock - Cattle

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Trade Website Design For Fresh Beef

Machinery Used Tractors

• ‘95 Belarus 400 AN........$5,500 • ‘11 NHT5070, cab, 4x4 w/NH 835TL ldr., 24x24 pwr. shuttle, 1,720 hrs................... $58,500 • ‘09 NH T6020, cab, 4x4, w/ NH 830TL ldr., 16x16 semi pwr. shift, pwr. shuttle, buddy seat, 747 hrs...................... $64,500 • ‘87 Ford 6610, 2WD, ROPS, w/ldr........................... $12,500 • ‘80 MF 230, dsl., low hours... .................................... $8,500 • ‘12 NH T5060, cab, 4x4 w/NH 835 TL ldr., 12x12 PS, 1,080 hrs............................. $61,500 • 2-Ford 5000, dsl.... $6,950 Ea.

Round & Square Bales

• ‘09 NH 7070, new belts, net... .................................. $17,950 • ‘12 JD 348 wire tie sq. baler, 6,000 bales, like new....$18,900 • ‘99 JD 348 wire tie sq. baler, hyd. swing, shedded.... $9,500 • NH 658 twine, 4x6..... $7,950 • ‘09 NH BR7090 specialty crop, endless belts & net, 5,494 bales................ $29,500 • ‘09 BR7070, net & twine, NH 5,748 bales................ $23,500

Used Hay Tools

• JD 704 rake............... $2,550 • Krone EC320 caddy... $8,950 • NH 256 rake...................$850 • H&S 8 whl. rake......... $2,500 • Krone AM403............. $6,500 • Rhino DM124, 10’ w/caddy... .................................... $6,950 • Tonutti 10W rake, like new..... .................................... $3,000 • H&S 12 W hi-cap....... $8,950 • H&S 12 W bi-fold...... $5,950

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866-532-1960

Wanted

Want to BuY milk tankS

rECEnt traDE-ins NEW HOLLAND T5070, Cab, 4WD w/ loader, 588 hours .....................................$48,500

920-397-6313

NEW HOLLAND TD5050, 4WD, Cab.................. $41,000 KUBOTA M7040, Cab, 4WD, Loader, 375 hrs ............... ..................................... $37,500 NEW HOLLAND TL90A, 2WD, Cab w/Loader, 2000 hrs ................................ $27,500 NEW HOLLAND H7220 DISC MOWER CONDITIONER ................ ................................ $19,500 NEW HOLLAND TN70, 2WD, Loader.......... $16,750 FORD 6610, w/Loader ........ ................................$15,000 NEW HOLLAND BR750 ROUND BALER, 4x6, twine ...................... $10,500 FORD 7700, Cab..$10,000 KIOTI LB1914, 4WD w/ Loader .......................$9,750 JOHN DEERE 1530, 2WD w/Loader ...................$7,750 FORD 340B, w/Loader........... ........................................$7,500 DUETZ 5506 ......... $3,500 MASSEY-FERGUSON 35 . ..................................$3,000 MASSEY-FERGUSON 175 ..................................$2,500

6/27/16

Country Veterinary Service Tim E. O’Neill, DVM

479-267-2685

Farmington, AR countryveterinaryserviceinc.com

26 years of serving both farm and family.

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www.ozarksfn.com

866-532-1960

do you love to write? 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

Williams tractor

2501 Shiloh Dr. • Fayetteville, Ark.

479-442-8284

www.williamstractor.com

417-322-4711

OzarksFarm

Vets

Machinery

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

5/16/16

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

www.adamstruss.com 5/16/16

MAY 16, 2016

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

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WoodMotor.com

North Arkansas’ Volume Dealer! FINANCING AVAILABLE!

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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

MAY 16, 2016