Family changes their cattle operation to market beef directly to consumers
Cattlewoman and restaurant owner Carolyn Piguet offers customers her own brand of beef
The impact shedding has on cattle health and profitability
Ryan and Holly Shoffner want highly-fertile and maternal females
Farm families announced: The 76th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program announced its 2023 County Farm Families of the Year. Those honored in the Arkansas Ozarks are: Baxter – Tony and Susan Chamberlain , Steve and Jennifer Ellison , Jordan Ellison (Faraway Vineyard) Gamaliel; Benton – Wes and Laura Evans (Evans Farms) Gentry; Boone – Brian and Tammy Lemon and family (Lemon Farm), Lead Hill; Carroll – William Chaney III and wife Phylicia (Chaney Farms), Green Forest; Cleburne – Shaun and Candace Mason (Shaun and Candace Mason Farm), Edgemont; Conway — John Maus and family (Maus Pecan Farm) Morrilton; Crawford – Jared , Jessie , Dakota and Hailey Williams (Williams Farms) Mulberry; Faulkner – Tucker Family (H&D Tucker Farms), Conway; Franklin – Austin Sampley (Sampley Farms) Charleston; Fulton – Derek and Karen Hall family (Lick Creek Cattle) Salem; Johnson – Jeremy and Shirley Hatchett (Hatchett Family Farm), London; Logan – Mark and Rhonda Rhein (Paris), Madison – Kenny and Megan Harris family (Huntsville); Newton – Ryan and Cristan Martin (Buckhorn Farms) Deer; Pope – Keith , April and Blake Holbrook (Holbrook Farms) Atkins; Searcy – Sid and Lea Ann Lowrance (Lowrance Farms), Marshall; Sebastian – Tracy and Julie Leonard (Huntington); Van Buren – Adam and Darla McJunkins family (Bar Mc Ranch) Dennard; Washington – Travis , Ashley , Griffin , Owen and Evan Appel (Appel Farms), Elm Springs; and White – Brandon Cain Family (Cain Farms) Griffithville. The families will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year, which will be announced June 13.
Scholarships announced: The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee recently awarded nine $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors from each OKFB district and one $1,000 scholarship to a Collegiate Farm Bureau member. Taylor Fent is the recipient of the $1,000 Collegiate Farm Bureau scholarship. She is currently attending Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College studying animal science. The nine high school scholarship recipients are: Brant Failes , Richard Garrett Brame , Bailey Boyd , Rylee Glazier , Kylee Dodd , Mallory Sager , Jana Stacy , Clarissa Smith and Mason Tucker .
Students honored: Sixteen students, all in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas and members of the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences chapter, attended the MANRRS 37th Annual Training Conference & Career Expo, with two earning national scholar awards. Ivan Thomas, an animal science master’s degree student, was named a Cargill Scholar, and Madi Dains, an agricultural education, communication and technology, and animal science double-major, was named a Farm Credit VIP Scholar.
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Do you have a rumor you would like to share with our readers? Mail them to: PO Box 1514, Lebanon, MO 65536; fax them to: 417-532-4721; or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com OzarksFarm @OzarksFarm
3 Jerry Crownover –Cleaning fish
4 Jody Harris –Kudos to educators
5 Julie Turner-Crawford –Celebrating the industry
7 Carolyn Piguet serves her own brand of beef in her restaurant
8 COVID prompts family to go direct to customers
9 Eye on Agribusiness features Gullett’s Custom Cuts
10 Community remembers fallen lawman with memorial
12 Town & Country spotlights Keith Stokes
14 Building quality for the future
16 Youth in Agriculture features Evan Carlton
17 The highs and lows
18 Cull open heifers or feed them?
19 Plan before breaking ground
20 Shedding and cattle health
Jerry Crownover is a farmer and former professor of Agriculture Education at Missouri State University. He is a native of Baxter County, Arkansas, and an author and professional speaker. Jerry’s daily exploits on the farm are now viewable on YouTube at “lifeissimple678”.
To contact Jerry, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
My first job away from the farm happened during the last couple of months of my senior year in high school. Along with four other boys in my class, we agreed to work at a local resort, where every cent of our salary would go directly to the school to pay for our senior trip to Washington, D.C. Since most of us couldn’t afford the trip without this option, it was a good deal. This particular resort was well-known as a premier destination for fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts, and many Midwestern businesses would, as a perk, send some of their employees there for a few days of food, fun and fishing. The resort charged a fee for all the fish that were caught, but since the companies were paying the bill, the fisherman would catch huge numbers of fish each day and bring them back to the main lodge, where the resort employees would clean, process and freeze the fish. Every Saturday and Sunday in March and April of that year, my friends and I would clean hundreds of fish during our eight- to 10-hour days. I can remember how raw my thumbs and fingers would be from scraping, gutting and deboning those fish. The feeling would barely return to my hands before the next weekend would come along. But, the desire to attend that week-long bus trip kept us going back.
That was 50-some years ago, but the resort is still there and more beautiful than ever. As a little getaway after a long winter of feeding cattle and spring calving, I took my wife there this past weekend for a little rest and relaxation. As we drove along the entrance to the resort, I could see that the river was full of fishermen in hip-waders, flexing their wrists with fly rods.
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In the wake of COVID-19, the Armer family began offering farm-to-table beef from their Carroll County, Ark., farm. See more on page 8 Submitted photo 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., 2022. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
It’s the busy month of May and we are enjoying every minute of it. This week, we are celebrating how much we appreciate all the teachers who educate our four children. Our children are all spaced about two years apart from one another. We have two daughters in two different high schools, and our sons are in middle school and elementary school. Each of our children has a different favorite subject, not to exclude recess. I love how over the years each of them has designated a different favorite teacher.
There are only a couple of teachers from the earlier grades who had all four of our students in their classes. I refer to these people as having had the superfecta. If someone has had at least three of them, they are in the trifecta. We are coming off the Kentucky Derby, so hopefully, you can appreciate the horse racing terminology. Getting a child through the education system sometimes feels like running a big race, trying to check all the graduation requirements along the way.
This year, I sent some goodies to both boys’ schools for their teachers to enjoy. A friend of mine enlisted the help of several ninth-grade parents to host something special every day at our local high school. It always amazes me how a group of mothers can quickly assess a need and create a five-page plan on how to execute an event or meal via text message.
In a carefully communicated text thread, one mom coordinated 13 parents to pull off breakfast, two lunches, a cookie break and favorite drink drop offs. One mother created themed signage to put up in the teacher’s break room for every day this week. One mother found tablecloths and paper goods to stock up for easy clean ups. It was easy to pick a day with a few parents and divide and conquer.
On Tuesday, during Teacher Appreciation Week, it was my job to drop off pizza and sheet cakes. We live in a rural area, so you must drive into “town” to get pizza picked up. One of the moms in my group had a discount card that gave us a “buy one, get one” deal. One grandmother stepped up and made a generous donation. Another couple of mothers made sure we had drinks, salad and veggies to complement the meal.
I waited patiently for the pizza restaurant to open that morning and placed our very large order one minute after the clock struck 10 a.m. I had spent the evening before baking and frosting my favorite Texas chocolate sheet cake recipe to have two cakes to feed 50 people. It was hard not to help myself to a slice. This is my great aunt’s special recipe; it is always a hit. When the pizzas were ready, I ran into town and picked them up. I stacked them up in my backseat and used the seat belts to keep them from slinging around while I quickly drove them to the high school.
Our teachers work hard to make sure our students are learning to read, write and do math. I am so thankful how each teacher our family has had this year has continued to pour into our students. May is a busy month for school, teacher appreciation, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day too. There are so many we encounter doing life, and I appreciate them so much. And my car still smells like pizza just a few days later, neighbor.
May is my favorite time of year. Kids are getting out of school, and county fair season will soon be in full swing, and we all know how much I love fairs. May is also Beef Month, which makes this time of year even better.
I fire up the grill or smoker even when it’s snowing or raining, but there’s something about eating a burger or steak on the porch or deck on a warm spring day that makes it all taste so much better.
The cattle industry is enormous in the Ozarks, and our cattle farmers and ranchers attribute millions to our local economies. The Livestock Marketing Association recently released the findings of its economic impact study that proves the point.
Julie Turner-Crawford is a native of Dallas County, Mo., where she grew up on her family’s farm. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Julie, call 1-866532-1960 or by email at editor@ozarksfn.com.
The case livestock auction market in the study was in a rural Missouri town with a population of less than 5,000, much like many of our hometowns, selling all classes of cattle in a weekly sale. The study of an average, fixed-facility livestock auction market revealed the market provides approximately $2 million in total value-added
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• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 pound sirloin steak cut into bite size pieces (can use any type of beef steak)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbps butter (unsalted)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp parsley (fresh, chopped)
Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over high heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the steak pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for at least 2 minutes before stirring the steak pieces. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes until they’re golden brown. Transfer the steak bites to a plate and in the same skillet add the butter. Turn the heat down to a medium and after the butter has melted, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds while stirring, just until the garlic starts to brown. Pour the garlic butter over the steak bites and toss well. Garnish with parsley and serve.
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dollars to its local community, up from the $1 million identified in the 2017 report.
The report noted the “market studied provides 17 jobs, generating $888,000 in labor income to the community’s economy. Additionally, the market contributes $447,000 in local taxes and $108,000 in federal taxes. Of the total value-added number, contributions were also made by the on-site café, which further provides labor income, state, local and federal taxes.”
That’s just one aspect of the cattle industry. Think about sales at your local feed stores, the jobs there, taxes collected, and the money put back into the community.
In 2022, the USDA estimated cattle production would represent about 17 percent of the $462 billion total cash receipts for agricultural commodities, not including the dairy industry. The North American Meat Institute estimates the beef industry contributes $894 billion to the U.S. economy and, through its production and distribution linkages, impacts firms in all 440 sectors of the U.S. economy, directly and indirectly providing 5.9 million jobs in the U.S.
Not bad for a bunch of farmers and ranchers.
Estimates for the global vegan food market are much lower. Vegan markets are predicted to reach just $31.4 billion by 2026, according to the vegan publication VegWorld If the vegans want to take over what the
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After we checked into our room, I made my way to the main lodge, in need of some snacks. The lady at the front desk informed me that there was a vending machine “way in the back of the building, right across from the fish cleaners.”
“I think I can find it.”
Arriving at the vending machine, I realized that I didn’t have any change. In the adjoining area, three young men were working feverishly, sorting and cleaning dozens of stringers. I interrupted them to
world eats, they better find something better than tofu or lab-created-want-to-be beef.
Rising cattle hasn’t been easy the last couple of years, thanks to rising production costs – like feed and fertilizer – and dry weather conditions. Still, the industry continues to be critical for the nation’s economy.
Beef is also a staple on many tables. Globally, according to Beef2live.com, the world consumed more than 130 billion (yes, billion with a B) pounds of beef in 2020. The U.S. is the largest beef consumer, with 21 percent of the market with more than 27 billion pounds. It just shows beef is what’s for dinner in many homes.
I challenge you to find a way to promote the beef industry, or agriculture in general, in your hometown this Beef Month. If your county Farm Bureau or Cattlemen’s Association isn’t planning something, maybe you can put a little bug in their ears to find a way to do something next year.
If we don’t promote ourselves, no one will do it for us, and there’s no better advocate for an industry than those involved; be your own cheerleader.
ask if anyone had change for a 20. One young man (probably the youngest of the three) eagerly volunteered to help me and quickly produced my needed change.
I thanked him, and added. “You know, 53 years ago, I worked at that same table, cleaning fish for the people who were staying here then.”
“Wow,” he replied. “I didn’t even know this place was around back then. Did you have fun, working here?”
“I cleaned fish.”
Most steak restaurants will claim they have the best beef, but with her latest first-generation three-way cross, Carolyn Piguet of rural Vinita, Okla., may truly have the trifecta.
She recently started offering beef from her Hereford/Wagyu/Angus cross herd at her restaurant, Piguet’s Prime Time. As she shared recently in her blog, Carolyn’s cross creates what are “genetically speaking, the top three breeds of cattle trusted for the most high-quality beef.”
find a new way to feature high-quality beef. Her catering business was already wellknown for her wood-fired steak dinners.
While she is new to owning a restaurant, Piguet has 40 years of education experience, 14 years of catering experience, and a lifetime of experience as a farmer.
Her farm was in her husband’s family, before she and Jerry Piguet were married.
“He was big in it and worked with registered cattle,” Carolyn said.
Jerry started a tent business and would
which comes in handy for the growing number of weddings and other group events the Piguets host on their property.
Over the years, some things have changed on the farm, but she has always kept the herd at about 25 head. Carolyn said she accomplishes this by culling older cattle and adding calves.
The herd is fed a Bermudagrass/fescue mix that grows in their pastures throughout the summer. In the winter months, the herd is fed mostly a high-protein cube. Her finishing feed is grain from a self-feeder. This process creates a more rich and more flavorful marbling in the cattle before harvesting.
Offering locally-sourced food and having decorations from her home in the restaurant is just one way Carolyn combines her love for education, hospitality, and good beef. The concept of farmto-fork was important in her household and by extension, her community long before it became a culinary trend.
“It has a lot of my home in it,” Carolyn said, adding that being able to operate her catering company from the restaurant makes life a lot more simple.
“It’s nice not to have to pack it all up (and transport it),” she said. “This way, it’s like people are coming to my home.”
While she’s enjoying having her farm and restaurant on her family property, it does come with potential downfalls. That’s why she knew when the restaurant planning started four years ago she would never sell the restaurant.
50x100x16 One side sheeted. One gable sheeted materials. 50x100x18 Roof only Materials 40x50x12
These F1 cattle are processed locally, so the farm supports another Northeast Oklahoma agriculture business.
Carolyn’s family has raised Hereford/ Angus cattle for many years and recently crossed them for the first time with the restaurant’s local Wagyu provider.
Carolyn constructed the new restaurant on her home farm property; the one-year anniversary is in June. She built the restaurant to provide a more efficient place to operate her catering business and to
set up tents on their property for livestock auctions before he and Carolynn were married. Carolyn grew up on a farm where the family raised stocker cattle from “calf to cow,” she said. While Jerry started the family farm, Carolyn has been responsible for running it for at least 11 years.
“I lost my husband five years ago, and he was sick for six years before that,” she explained. A family member still operates the tent business,
“I would never sell it because it’s on my property,” she said. “It can still be a community event venue of some kind. I knew it was a long-term commitment.”
Most of the menu at the restaurant is locally sourced, and Carolyn is able to identify not only the farm but how the produce and other meats were raised.
“People want to know where it’s from,” she said of her ingredients. “And it helps make sure that there’s accurate information out there (about farming practices).”
Her sourcing also helps promote others in the agricultural industry and educates people on what they do.
“Once an educator, always an educator,” Carolyn said.
w/3” reinforced vinyl back insulation. 1- walk thru door, 2-10x10 openings, 26 ga. 40 year painted metal. All red iron frame. Materials.
Marty Armer grew up on a dairy farm just down the road from his current farm near Green Forest, Ark. He purchased the farm in 2003 while deployed in Iraq as a combat engineer with the U.S. Army Reserves. He and his wife Kristy married after his return from the Middle East, and in 2006, they brought cattle to MK Armer Farms.
MK Armer Farms runs about 45 head of primarily Angus and is in partnership with an additional 45 head with Marty’s sister and brother-in-law (Raymond and Sheila Nance) at their parents’ farm (Yonkipin Legacy Farms, LLC). Raymond and Sheila also have a cattle operation, Nance FarmRS.
Before Marty and Kristy could put cattle on their 106-acre farm, there was a lot of work to be done on fencing and other facilities. Thanks to his full-time job working with Barrows Excavating, he said he had some “perks” when it came to clearing land. After mowing to eliminate brush and other weeds, Marty said the native forages of his pasture made a return. In addition to their farm, the Armers rent an additional 35 acres, and the partnered farm has 160 acres. Since they started the cattle operation, the Armers have been doing what most cow/ calf producers did with their steers, taking them to the local sale. That changed, however, in 2020.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marty and Kristy Armer saw a news report saying there was a shortage of cattle.
“I looked at my wife and said, ‘Honey, there’s not a shortage of cattle. There’s a shortage of people to produce them,” Marty recalled. “That’s how we decided to start selling our animals directly to the consumer.”
Kristy said when they started their farm-to-table endeavor, they were offering halves and wholes but soon realized some customers couldn’t afford a whole or half or didn’t have the
freezer space. Marty and Kristy partnered with Raymond and Sheila to add individual cuts of USDA-inspected beef to customers under the Yonkipin Legacy Farm Raised Beef label.
“We still have the wholes and halves, but we can also offer those individual packages of meat or make up smaller bundles,” Kristy explained.
The first year the family offered farm-toplate beef, eight steers were processed and sold. They now have about 60 head going to beef sales.
“All of our steers now go into the beef program,” Marty explained.
Steers are weaned at around 7 months of age, weighing 500 to 600 pounds, and finished on commodity-based feed.
“They are still in the pasture,” Marty explained. “We don’t force them to eat the grain; it’s all free choice up to the finishing weight. At that point, we will add a little more chopped corn to their diet and do that until processing.”
The target weight for finishing steers is about 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. Calves are typically 13 to 14 months old when processed.
The Armers and the Nances raise all the beef in the meat program.
“Since COVID, for whatever reason, people seem more interested in knowing where their meat comes from and what’s in that meat,” Kristy said. “These cattle have been born and raised on our farms, and we can tell them everything that’s gone into these cattle, and I think that brings the consumers some peace of mind, and I think they want to support local. I feel people are more conscientious of where their food comes from.”
The family retains most of their heifers for future growth and to replace older cows in the herd. Any overflow of females are sold. Heifers go into the breeding program at 14 to 16 months of age.
“Heifers have a lot of developing to
do, and they are still developing when you breed them the first time,” Marty said. “You don’t want to take away from that development and growth by breeding them too soon.”
All breeding is a natural cover; bulls always remain with the herds.
“When we were just going to sale barns, we had two separate groups of cows so we could do spring and fall calving,” Marty explained. “Since we’ve started the farm-totable, it was hard to make 20 appointments at the butcher at once. We decided to start leaving the bull in with the herd and put the two groups together, and we were able to calve throughout the year. It’s easier for us to make the appointments for the butcher, and it spreads it out for the needs of the customer. Some customers want to buy closer in the winter; some buy right before July and in the barbecue season.”
Because there are three herds, Kristy and Marty can rotate bulls frequently and have raised their own replacement bulls.
“We started with bulls from Gene Smith (Smith Registered Angus), and with their good genes and the good gene in the females I bought, we’ve been able to get some bulls out of them. People have different opinions on a good breeding animal, but I’ve picked cows that are solid from the ground up, cows that are good and straight over their top. I want a good, practical animal.”
By selecting those female traits early in their operation, the Armers built the base of their operation for the terminal market long before becoming a farm-to-plate operation.
“We don’t want to push an animal to make weight,” Marty said. “You want them to do it on their own, only providing the materials they need to do it with. The cows
mainly get grass. In the winter, they will get hay, but they have free-choice mineral and salt all year. The only grain they receive is if it’s a dry summer, and I still got several cows feeding calves just to help them.
The couple’s four children – 16-year-old Kaitlynn, 13-year-old Lillian, 11-year-old Brycen, and 5-year-old Claire – are active on the farm, with each having roles in the operation. Kaitlynn and Lillian also show steers and hogs at the county fair.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” Marty added.
With the addition of the show pigs, they are looking at the possibility of adding farmto-table pork.
“Last year, we raised a few hogs, and this year we are too, but we are still figuring it out,” Kristy said. “There’s room there for growth in the future.”
Marty and Kristy said there’s a sense of pride seeing their family’s label going on the beef they produced.
“Knowing you can feed other families throughout the year makes us feel good about what we’re doing and makes us want to do our very best to provide the best quality we can for our customers so they will keep coming back. I never saw us doing farm-to-table; that wasn’t even on our radar. We were happy raising groups and taking them to the sale barn.”
Sales of Yonkipin Legacy Farms beef have seen tremendous growth since its inception. Marty and Kristy hope that growth continues.
“Finding more land and expanding the herd would be the dream,” Kristy said. “Eventually, we want to pull our kids into it, build and hand it down to them; that would be our dream.”
Location: Hattieville, Ark.
Owners: Allen Gullett and Johnny Gullett
History: Gullett’s Custom Cuts was started three years ago by brothers Allen and Johnny Gullett. Following in Allen’s nearly three-decade career as a meat cutter, the brothers decided it was time to open their own facility.
“We opened it, mainly, so I could cut meat the way I wanted,” Allen said. “I wanted to put out the quality I wanted, not the way someone else wanted it done. I can let it hang however long I think it needs to hang.
“Quality isn’t something you get much of anymore. I worked for 13 years in a grocery store, and you cut what you get in, and you can’t pick and choose what’s on sale or what isn’t on sale. Sometimes it’s good stuff; sometimes, it’s not. We run everything top of the line, and there isn’t any guessing. If you run a top-quality product across the board, people don’t have to worry if what’s on sale is the good stuff or the other stuff.”
Products and Services: Gullett’s Custom Cuts offers custom beef, pork, lamb and goat processing. About 20 animals are processed a week, mostly beef. Working with local beef and hog producers, Allen said they can offer customers custom quarters, halves and wholes. They also process several deer during hunting season. In addition to custom processing, Gullett’s Custom Cuts has a retail side. Cuts for the retail store are cut from USDA-inspected box meats.
“We sell a lot of retail items,” Allen said. “We’re kind of out in the country, and the little town nearby is Hector. They used to have a grocery store there for years. The man who owned it passed away about five years ago, and we picked up a lot of their business. I was unsure because we are so far out in the country, and I told Johnny I didn’t know if it would be worth it or not, but he talked me into it. It has gone really, really well.”
Specialty items include in-house-made summer sausage, and smoked ham, bacon and jowls.
“We also take our breakfast sausage, then stuff cream cheese, cheddar cheese and jalapenos in the middle, then smoke it; we call them Coon Eggs. We also do a lot of bacon, cheddar and jalapeno hamburger patties.”
The specialty “buckboard bacon” produced at Gullett’s is also popular.
“You take a shoulder, butterfly it open, then sugar cure it, smoke it and slice it just like bacon,” Allen said.
The specialty items are available to custom processing customers and at the retail counter.
Future plans: Gullett’s Custom Cuts and the Gullett family are hoping to continue to see business growth and hope to add another location sometime in the future.
“We’re hoping to build another facility closer to where I live around Perry County,” Allen said.
Notorious gangsters Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow terrorized the countryside, stealing automobiles, robbing banks and killing anybody who got in their way.
During their two-year reign, they were responsible for the slayings of nine law enforcement officers in four states – Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. One of their victims was Commerce, Okla., Constable William Cal Campbell. Campbell, 61, was killed on April 6, 1934, in a spray of bullets. He was Bonnie and Clyde’s last victim, according to published reports.
A memorial to the fallen father of eight children was erected 67 years after his death and is located in front of Commerce City Hall.
A news account from the Commerce News is engraved on the monument.
“The city of Commerce lost a good officer needlessly to a cowardly act,” said Commerce Police Chief Ernie Shelby. “More importantly, a family lost their be-
loved father and husband.
“I have spoken with people that knew Cal, and they told me what a good man he was and how he loved his job and the people of Commerce,” Shelby said.
Cal was the Constable for Division 2 of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, which was based in Commerce, but he will always be considered a member of the Commerce Police Department, he said.
The killing occurred five days after Bonnie and Clyde killed two highway patrolmen near Grapevine, Texas.
Parker, Barrow and Henry Methvin were traveling on the muddy back roads near Commerce when their car got stuck. A passing motorist frightened by the guns stacked in Clyde Barrow’s car sped away and notified Commerce Police Chief Percy Boyd.
The Commerce law enforcement officers drove upon the Barrow gang as they were trying to free the car out of the mud. Gunfire ensued and Campbell was fa-
tally shot in the abdomen, near his left hip, and his lifeless body was left in the middle of the road. Boyd was shot in the head and taken to Fort Scott, Kan., where he was released.
Campbell’s obituary, published in The Miami Daily News-Record, Miami,Okla., states Campbell was the “victim of the blood-stained hands of Clyde Barrow or his hoodlum ally.”
“Campbell was shot down Friday in a gun battle in which he and Chief of Police Percy Boyd faced the withering fire of the Texas desperado and criminal associate,” the obituary reads. “The shooting occurred near the Lost Trail
Mine. The toll of lives that the Southwest’s public enemy No. 1 has exacted in his terrorizing spree the last year was believed to have reached nine with the Commerce officer’s death. Mayor J. R. Grimes has requested that Commerce business houses close from 2 o’clock until 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon in tribute to the dead officer.”
It was never known who killed Cal Campbell. He was laid to rest in the G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami.
About six weeks after Campbell’s slaying, police ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde outside Gibsland, La., on May 23, 1934.
Hometown: Dardanelle, Ark.
Family: Wife Julie, son Chip and his wife Lori, daughter
Abbey and her fiancé
Tanner Hess, grandson Colt and granddaughter Caroline.
In Town: Keith Stokes is the agriculture projects manager for U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, a position he has held for about seven, almost eight, years.
“I handle all of the in-state ag issues for the senator,” Keith explained. “He wants to stay informed and up-to-date on agriculture issues in the state, and my job is to let him know what’s going on in Arkansas agriculture.”
In the Country: Keith has always had a passion for agriculture.
“I was raised on a poultry and cattle farm not too far from here,” Keith said. “I have been around agriculture my whole life.”
Keith has a commercial cow/calf operation with Brangus-influenced females. He has about 35 momma cows but hopes to scale back to about 25. He said his busy schedule and a lack of available hay ground are contributing factors.
His family operated 350-sow farrow-to-feeder operation at their Dardanelle, Ark., farm for about 20 years in addition to the cattle operation.
In 1996, Keith was president of the Arkansas Pork Producers and was contacted to help find a Razorback to be the live mascot of the University of Arkansas. Keith located a breeder in Greenbrier, Ark., and the Tusk line began with two Russian boars.
The pigs were housed at the St. Louis Zoo for a few years, then moved to the university’s research farm. Eventually, the Tusk line came to live at the Stokes’ farm.
“We modified the barns and he’s been with us for the last 20 years,” Keith said.
The Tusk lineage began with Tusk I. Tusk II and Tusk III were both sons of Tusk I. Tusk IV and Tusk V were sons of Tusk II, and Tusk VI is a litter mate of Tusk V.
To keep the line going, Keith selects gilts that are brought to Tusk for breeding. After the next generation of Tusks are selected, the sows and all other pigs return to the farm from which the sows originated. Keith picks a maximum of three boars to remain on the farm and become future mascots. Keith expects to breed Tusk VI this fall.
The Stokes family follows the university’s sports teams with Tusk, who travels in his own custom trailer. From birth, the future mascots are handled by the Stokes family, and prepared for their future as Tusk.
“We want a young, calm sow that will tolerate you handling her babies, and a radio is playing in the barn,” Keith said. “When they get old enough, we will load them on the trailer and take them for rides. We just keep working with them. Even in the off-season, I feed them once a week on the trailer.”
Keith said he plans on continuing the tradition for many years to come, and being the caregiver for Tusk.
“If you love sports and animals, it’s a great mix,” he said. “This is also unique to our state.”
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 175.00-215.00.
Replacement Goats: Nannies/Does - Selection 1 (per unit): 300.00-335.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 160.00-250.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 2 (per unit): 125.00-140.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 3 (per unit): 50.00-100.00.
Diamond, Mo. • TS White Sheep/Goat 5/4/23
Receipts: 1,045
Feeder Sheep/Lambs: Lambs - Medium and Large 1-2 (per cwt): 155.00-205.00.
Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards Sheep/Goat 5/13/23
Receipts: 2,467
Feeder Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 210.00275.00.
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 2 (per cwt): 150.00-205.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 190.00-270.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00-185.00.
Hair Breeds - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 110.00-140.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 85.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 120.00-130.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-85.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 2-3 (per cwt): 50.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 70.00-130.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per unit): 110.00-170.00.
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 2 (per unit): 70.00-105.00.
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 3 (per unit): 40.00-50.00.
Families - Small and Medium 2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 70.00-85.00.
Families - Small and Medium 2 w/20-40 lbs lamb (per unit): 70.00-95.00.
Families - Small and Medium 3 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 55.00-60.00.
Hair Bucks - Small and Medium 1 (per unit): 300.00-425.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-370.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 200.00-285.00.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-352.50.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 200.00-280.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 70.00-180.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 145.00-150.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 2 (per cwt): 100.00-135.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 3 (per cwt): 70.00.
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 180.00240.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt):
197.50-215.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 175.00225.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 130.00-187.50.
Hair Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 150.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 75.00-110.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 120.00-130.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 80.00-117.50.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 50.00-80.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00-135.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00152.50.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 320.00-425.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 195.00-310.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 150.00-200.00.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 325.00-385.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 265.00-315.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 95.00-180.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00-240.00.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 145.00-170.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 200.00-260.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 210.00480.00.
Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat 4/25/23
Receipts: 654
Feeder Sheep/Lambs: Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 205.00257.50.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 217.50-223.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 179.00237.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 100.00-209.00.
Hair Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 117.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 68.00-90.00.
Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 40.00-60.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-100.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 60.00-70.00.
Bucks 1-2 (per cwt): 80.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 177.50-210.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 324.00-410.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 202.50-307.50.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 100.00-187.50.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 290.00-297.50.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 200.00-270.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 112.00-162.50.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 187.50.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00-177.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 222.50.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 140.00-210.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 85.00220.00.
National Sheep Summary 5/12/23
Compared to last week traditional slaughter lambs 1.00-8.00 lower; other lambs 10.00-50.00 lower. Slaughter ewes steady to 20.00 lower. No comparison on feeder lambs. At San Angelo, TX 8,037 head sold. No sales in Equity Cooperative Auction. In direct trading slaughter ewes and feeder lambs not tested. 2,612 lamb carcasses traded with no trend due to confidentiality. All sheep sold per hundred weight (CWT) unless specified.
Cheese: Barrels The weekly blocks, $1.6085
Fluid Milk/Cream: reported volumes milk production steady. That Central region overall milk days. Milk for all Class freight shortages, Federal Milk discarding July 17, 2023. in California possible, with influencing in some parts that the upcoming Class II demand manufacturers cottage cheese is steady for multiples in the Midwest, SPOT PRICES
BUTTERFAT, - $3.0263 -
Sheep/Lambs:
Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt):
Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 179.00-
Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 100.00-209.00.
Good 1-2 (per cwt): 117.00. and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 68.00-90.00.
Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 40.00-60.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-100.00. and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 60.00-70.00. cwt): 80.00.
Sheep/Lambs: and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per 177.50-210.00.
1 (per cwt): 324.00-410.00.
2 (per cwt): 202.50-307.50.
3 (per cwt): 100.00-187.50.
1 (per cwt): 290.00-297.50.
2 (per cwt): 200.00-270.00.
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 112.00-162.50.
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 187.50.
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00-177.00.
Goats:
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 222.50.
Selection 1-2 (per unit): 140.00-210.00.
Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 85.00-
Summary 5/12/23
last week traditional slaughter lambs other lambs 10.00-50.00 lower. Slaughter 20.00 lower. No comparison on feeder Angelo, TX 8,037 head sold. No sales in Cooperative Auction. In direct trading slaughter lambs not tested. 2,612 lamb carcasses trend due to confidentiality. All sheep sold weight (CWT) unless specified.
National Dairy Market at a Glance
5/12/23
Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.4900 and 40# blocks at $1.5300. The weekly average for barrels is $1.5115 (-0.0455) and blocks, $1.6085 (-0.0540).
Fluid Milk/Cream: Some stakeholders in California reported volumes are lower than anticipated. However, milk production throughout the country is strong to steady. That said, warmer temperatures in the southern Central region have contacts expecting a slip lower on overall milk output in areas that are reaching 90+ degree days. Milk supplies are available throughout the country for all Class needs. Due to labor shortages, trucking and freight shortages, as well as equipment hinderances, Federal Milk Marketing Order 1 has authorized the discarding of surplus milk supplies from May 10, 2023, to July 17, 2023. Contacts report some local water districts in California are wanting farmers to irrigate as much as possible, with warmer temperatures at higher altitudes influencing the snow melt pace. Hay and wheat farmers in some parts of the southern Midwest express sentiments that the upcoming harvest is not expected to be abundant. Class II demand has gained momentum, as ice cream manufacturers have heavier production. Production of cottage cheese and sour cream is noted as strong. Demand is steady for Class I, III, and IV milk volumes. Cream multiples for all Classes are 1.25-1.36 in the East, 1.22-1.30 in the Midwest, and 1.00-1.21 in the West.
SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM: $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT, F.O.B., producing plants, Midwestern U.S. - $3.0263 - $3.1473.
The cattle industry is nothing new to Ryan and Holly Shoffner.
Ryan’s family raised cattle in the Camden County, Mo., area, and Holly’s family raised Angus and Maine Anjou in Arkansas. Her grandfather, Jack Shewmaker founded JAC’s Ranch in Bentonville, Ark.
The couple are now working to build their own herd and reputation.
“I worked for Cargill out of college and lived in west central Illinois,” Ryan said.
“We moved back to (Holly’s) hometown in Northwest Arkansas, but we wanted to have our own farm.”
The couple left Arkansas and returned to Missouri. The move to their Montreal farm allowed the couple to start their cattle operation.
Ryan described the farm as “pretty run down,” over hayed and needed some TLC. It took some time before they could run cattle, but by 2021, Shoffner Cattle Company was in business.
They have carved out a paddock system for a 20-acre rotational grazing system, including the dozing of about 15 acres of wooded areas, with hopes to reclaim more land. They also acquired property across the road from their home that is cut for hay once a year, followed by strip grazing. In all, they have a total of 70 acres.
In addition to fencing and waterers, Ryan and Holly worked to improve soil fertility and no-tilled fescue and orchardgrass into the paddocks. They have also frost seeded clover.
When selecting a breed for their operation, the Shoffners
opted for a breed they were familiar with.
“Angus is a good foundation, and you can breed anything to it to get what you want,” Holly said. “They are also highly marketable and have that good foundation.”
Shoffner Cattle Company currently runs 25 females and focuses production on high-quality females that are highly fertile, structurally sound and have eye appeal.
“You have to select good cattle, and you can’t go just with EPDs,” Ryan said. “Cows have to do their job first.”
Possessing the desired maternal traits is crucial for the Shoffners. They have an exclusively AI breeding program.
“We’re asking a lot from our cows from a maternal standpoint,” Ryan explained. “Not having bulls presents a set of challenges. Fertility is a big deal on our farm, and to get it done time after time without a clean-up bull, we need them to be highly maternal. We are also focusing on what a cow should look like, that phenotypical structure. Is she going to have the longevity we are
going to require? We can’t be culling cattle out after just five years.”
Ryan and Holly added EPDs do have a place in their herd, but it’s not the main breeding factor.
“We want good EPDs for carcass merit, calving ease, and maternal traits, but we don’t want those traits if it doesn’t match the cow,” Ryan said. “We don’t want cattle with bad feet that you have to trim feet every year. We want a cow first and the quality that comes with those EPDs. We don’t want quality on paper and not see the quality in the pasture. You have to spend a lot of time with your cattle to see which one looks the best.”
Ryan credited Holly’s dad, Keith Bremer of Centerton, Ark., for his “eye” for quality females.
The Shoffners are not planning to get into the bull business and utilize sexed semen to get more heifers on the ground.
“There are a lot of producers who raise quality bulls and have a lot more head than we do,” Ryan said. “The larger facility you have, the more space you
have to keep bulls. We don’t have the space to do that. Our focus is raising bred replacement heifers for seedstock or commercial producers.”
A total AI breeding program can be time-consuming, but when breeding for high-fertility females, the program works for the Shoffners.
Using sexed semen, Ryan explained, is also a marketing tool for their female-only operation because they offer females carrying females.
Another maternal trait the couple monitor is calf weaning weights.
“If a cow isn’t going to wean off a calf that can be bred in 14 months, she doesn’t have much room here,” Ryan said.
The next step in the breeding program is to look into embryo transfer. However, they plan only to flush females that have demonstrated the maternal traits they desire and are proven females.
Shoffner Cattle Company recently consigned bred heifers to the East Central Missouri Angus Association’s Spring Sale. Being a new consigner, Ryan and Holly said they wanted the quality to be its best and for the animals to look their best. When a long-time Angus breeder complimented them on their cattle, the couple said it was worth their efforts.
“The ultimate goal is to have a product, and I don’t think we’re far away, that will come with some name recognition,” Ryan said. “I want to have a product people will recognize as high-quality. If people know we have the quality they demand, I think that’s what the cow sales are all about.”
As for the future, the couple hopes to grow and expand.
Holly would like to increase their farm to about 200 acres and expand the cattle herd.
“If you have 10 head of a cow, you might as well have 50,” Ryan said. “At that point, we would still implement the tools and technology we have, but we might have to implement a clean-up bull with a herd that size. My dream has always been to have a large ranch and do that, but it’s hard to do that just starting out.”
“I remind him that we are starting from scratch and doing this on our own,” Holly said. “We get help and opinions, but this is truly ours.”
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Age: 11
Parents:
Scott and Tara Carlton
Hometown: Marble, Ark.
Sibling: Sister, A.J.
What is Evan’s involvement in the family farm?
Evan is “quite the hand” around the farm. After school, he feeds and waters calves and show steers, feeds horses and drives the tractor to help his dad on their two farms. Evan helps his dad haul sawdust for their commercial chicken houses and prepare houses for new birds. Evan will sometimes work from early in the evening until 5 a.m.
Other agriculture-related ac- tivities: Evan enjoys showing steers at the Madison County Fair. His steer, Sam, is a Simmental. Evan enjoys the docility of the Simmental breed. One of his favorite parts when showing steers is the maintenance; washing, fluffing and practicing. He takes great pride in his work.
After Evan and his friends are done showing, he likes to ride his steer to his stall.
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the Farm to your family
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“It’s great because he doesn’t have to walk to far and everyone gets a good laugh,” he said.
Evan is also showing his goat, Dale. Dale is a Nubian-Boer cross. Evan said goats are comical and a bit challenging, but their “cuteness” makes up for the challenge.
Evan also has three horses: Buddy, Thor and Charger.
Evan likes participating in local ranch rodeos on Buddy and is also going to use Thor in this upcoming season. Evan and Buddy participate in the timed events. These timed events challenge Evan, pushing his skills to the limit.
In these events he must tie down a steer, rope a steer, put a steer in a trailer and rope the third steer and drag it into a pen.
He likes ranch rodeos because they are everyday skills he gets to perform on the farm.
Evan’s future plans: When Evan grows up, he wants to own a farm and raise small herd of Hereford cattle and break colts for people. Evan loves Herefords for their build and disposition, and he also wants Quarter horses for their athletic ability and temperament.
Evan thinks agriculture is really important because without agriculture the world would have no food.
As an agricultural lender and a small-scale beef cattle producer, I continually work to gain knowledge on updated production and management practices and marketing opportunities. How do we minimize costs and maximize profits each year, while balancing herd health and body condition, along with being good stewards of the land and resources?
Whether you are financing breeding stock, borrowing for stockers and operating capital or simply operating out of cash, effectively managing the financial aspect of the operation through the ebbs and flows of the cattle market has become a focus for sustainability.
Experienced producers are aware of cattle cycles, either successfully navigating them or managing to get by. For new producers, understanding the cycle is key to growth through the expansion and contraction of the livestock market. This expansion and contraction cycle typically span a period from seven to 12 years, where changes in cattle inventories affect prices based upon the supply and demand of beef.
When prices are high or rising, producers typically will hold or purchase additional heifers and retain producing cows beyond their normal culling age, leading to herd expansions. These decisions capitalize on additional production availability and future revenues while prices remain strong. Over time, growth in production results in increases in cattle population, cattle on feed and marketings; giving way to a decline in prices due to over-supply – or the start of a contraction.
Conversely, as production levels rise during the expansion period and supplies exceed timely demand, prices fall, and producers tend to market additional heifers and cows due to concerns of future profitability. The move towards liquidation is referred to as the contraction period. These additional liquidations, over time, complete the cycle of supply, demand and resulting price fluctuations.
The full cycle typically transpires over several years due to the time required for production and marketing to the applicable supply/demand points. However, mini cycles may also occur on a local or regional basis due to extreme weather events such as drought, which affect available grazing and/or feed costs.
Producers who understand and manage the cyclical nature of the beef cattle industry are typically able to position the operation for continued, healthy growth; allowing for additional leased or purchased acreage and increased herd size. Proper financial position starts with analyzing the needs of the business in both the expansion and contraction periods of the cycle.
During expansion, when inventories are increasing and corresponding market prices and values rise, the cycle becomes easier to manage. With strong calf prices, the operation can market calves normally, liquidate unproductive breeding stock in favor of retaining heifers, and purchase bred heifers to improve the annual revenues and overall age of the herd. Additional livestock purchases, and in some cases equipment upgrades, provide for future revenues as well as management of future depreciation costs through proper tax planning.
It is in periods of contraction where prior planning can pay dividends. As prices retreat, production revenues decline, and producers liquidate non-producing cows and heifers in an effort to cover essential fixed and variable costs. While a single year may be mitigated to a break-even scenario in contraction, future periods can suffer from reduced production and sales due to smaller herd sizes.
Producers who purchase cattle annually, either for summer grazing or winter carry, must prepare for periods when a mini cycle occurs or when expansion converts to contraction and prices fall. In these scenarios, price volatility occurs when prices decline from purchase to sale without some type of forward contracting or hedge positions.
Operations positioned to sustain through the “bad years” are those that proactively manage the financial aspect in the “good years” through:
• Building cash reserves to improve liquidity
• Boosting equity in assets through cash purchases or accelerated debt repayment
• Mitigating costs with forward priced inputs or bulk purchase agreements, and/or
• Enacting a well-implemented marketing plan to provide for premium pricing in subsequent years.
Each business operation is different, be it size, location, or ownership structure. Whether your goal is to expand herd size, maximize profits or position the operation for transition to future generations; understanding the beef cycle and how it impacts your operation’s overall finances is key to weathering the expansion and contraction of cattle markets. As you navigate the cycle, building a team of trusted advisors, through neighbors, family or an experienced agricultural lender can als0o aid in making profitability a priority through strategic planning.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of John Cowan and are not endorsed by, and do not necessarily reflect the views of, Simmons Bank. Simmons Bank does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice.
Making farming a little easier
For whatever reason, and there can be many, some replacement heifer candidates simply fail to measure up to the rest. This leaves producers with a decision to make in regard to that heifer’s future. Should she be culled and sent to the sale barn? Fed out and marketed as farm-raised beef? Held over and sent to a feedlot?
“There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and every option should be weighed on the basis of finances, experience, and the additional land base and resources that are needed to come to the right decision,” Andy McCorkill, University of Missouri Extension Field Specialist in Livestock, said.
In recent years the demand for farmraised beef has increased and remained steady.
“The struggles that COVID brought opened a lot of consumers’ eyes to issues and a desire for a more secure option for feeding the family,” McCorkill explained. “Beef was one of the first things to run out of supply in grocery stores, and the influx to locally sourced beef as a better option began.”
If price and supply availability were not a concern, what construction project would you like to undertake on your farm?
Livestock extension specialists state open heifers can be a good place to start for producers wanting to develop a direct-to-consumer beef marketing system.
“They are typically close enough being of size and finish that it doesn’t take much feed to have them ready for harvest, hence a low-cost option to make opportunity out of a bad circumstance,” McCorkill said.
To determine whether this is a cost-effective option producers will want to compare the costs associated with finishing out a beef to the selling price. High input costs, beef processing fees and marketing costs, if selling retail cuts, are all factors to consider.
There is time, money and resources involved in carrying the heifers, marketing them, and running a separate enterprise within the farm. There isn’t a clear answer for every operation.
“I would say heifers that will sell below market value, whether it be because she’s open or any other problem, provide the most opportunity to increase value and stand the most chance of making money,” McCorkill shared. “It is a tough decision right now; the market is strong for feeder cattle and slaughter cows; however, inputs are also high.”
“Four high tunnels, and a well and filter system to water it all. A produce cleaning room built into my barn, a bathroom with proper septic built in our shop.”
Kathy Algood White County, Ark.
“A goat barn and milking parlor for my kids’ dairy goats.”
Typically, sending cattle to a feedlot is an option reserved for larger cattle operations. Most feedlot operators want enough cattle to fill a pot truck and a pen in the feedlot. If this is an option producers want to pursue, then several producers with similar herd genetics and management styles may want to pool a group of calves together. Some feedlots will allow heifers and steers to be comingled in the same pen.
Another option to explore is working with seedstock producers who offer marketing help or buyback programs for their customers’ calf crop. Additionally, livestock extension specialists recommend adding low-cost weight gains and days of age to calves as a way to add value to them.
“Understanding and being able to calculate the difference between value of gain and cost of gain is important in making a decision on whether or not to add weight to any set of calves,” McCorkill stated. “There are some good
spreadsheets available online to help with calculating expenses and potential profits for running stockers.”
Due to the ever-increasing costs to develop an animal, McCorkill encourages producers to look over their heifer crop at several points in the animal’s development. This allows producers to identify early in the process the females that are not going to make replacements. Thus, giving producers more time to decide what the right marketing move is regarding the heifers.
Times to evaluate the heifer crop include at or shortly after weaning, in the weeks leading up to breeding season (when a pre-breeding exam is conducted) and at a 90-day preg check. During these stages the heifer can be evaluated and analyzed to determine if she will make a good replacement female for the herd. If she doesn’t meet the producer’s criteria at any stage of the process, it’s time to decide on an alternative marketing strategy for that heifer.
“A shop building big enough to get everything inside and hold the power tools. A 50-foot-by 100-foot building would be a dream shop.”
“Concrete, inline feeders all over the whole place to feed 500 head of sheep, and I would like for them to be covered. Something you could just drive along and feed.”
LarryThe more planning that takes place before starting construction of a feeding facility, the better the project will progress. No perfect plan eliminates hiccups, but taking steps before breaking ground can pave a smoother path toward success. Determine Size: First, determine how many animals will be fed at the finishing facility. The number of hogs, cattle, chickens or other livestock a producer plans to manage will be the guiding factor to build the facility. General standards for square footage are needed depending on the type of livestock and the nature of the operation.
Additionally, the size of the operation impacts the regulations the operation must follow during construction. Small hobby farms don’t fall under the same rules and regulations as larger, full-time operations. Consult Regulations: It is essential for producers to check with local jurisdictions to ensure they are following the requirements and applying for permits if needed. The regulations and permits required depend on the size of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) or the size of the Animal Feeding Operation (AFO). However, even if the operation falls below the number of animals required for more stringent permitting and ordinanc-
es, producers may want to consider implementing the requirements into their construction plan. “It’s still a good idea to follow the regulations as close as you can because if there is ever an issue, you can say I did my due diligence to try and prevent that,” Jim Crawford, University of Missouri Extension Field Specialist in Agricultural Engineering, said. “Even though you are not required to follow the regulations if you are small if there is a problem, you are still just as liable.”
Location: Producers will want to consider several factors when determining a location for the facility. “The first thing you want to think about in regard to the location is where is it going to be sited in relationship to a residence because regardless of how much work you do, there is a possibility of an odor issue,” Crawford stated.
Other considerations related to location include the proximity to utilities, water supply and other infrastructure. Additionally, producers who plan to rely
on agri-businesses to deliver feed or hay should keep in mind the roads must consistently be in good enough condition. Though remote locations work well from an odor standpoint, if the roads aren’t bladed in the winter when it snows, or they get too soft in heavy rains, it may not be a good location for the operation.
Another aspect of choosing a location is where the facility will be in relation to water sources such as creeks, rivers and streams. Requirements and definition of water sources change from time to time, so producers need to make sure they are seeking the most updated information.
Look Ahead: While making current plans, chart plans for future expansion. Preparing for possible expansion 10 to 20 years down the road can save time and money in the long run. “Yes, it is extra money upfront, but building prices are not going to get any cheaper,” Crawford explained. “It is less expensive to build initially than to try to come back and add on and make it all work.”
As happy as producers are to ditch their own winter coats as warmer weather arrives, they may be even more excited when their cattle shed their heavy, hairy coats prior to the onset of hot, humid days. Cattle in this part of the country that continue to hold on to all or part of their winter coats into spring and summer, can face health and production issues. Thus, impacting a producer’s profitability.
Though it varies from animal to animal, for the most part, cattle will start shedding from front to back and from their topline to their belly. According to University of Missouri Extension specialists, the last places an animal sheds is its lower quarter above its hock and its underline.
Multiple factors come into play to determine when an animal will shed its cold season coat. “Weather, age, nutritional status and genetics impact when cattle will shed off their winter hair,” Elizabeth MacConnell Picking, Field Specialist in Livestock with University of Missouri Extension, explained. In some cows, no shedding or slow shedding can be a red flag that the animal has a health issue. “Older cows, as well as thin and sick cattle, may shed their hair more slowly in the spring,” MacConnell Picking added.
Regardless of their current health status, as the blazing days of summer approach, animals that keep their winter hair or are slow to lose it, incur higher amounts of heat stress compared to their earlier shedding counterparts. And the lower an animal’s heat stress, the higher its production.
“Reducing heat stress, especially when grazing endophyte infected tall fescue, can help to improve milk production and average daily gain and weaning weights on calves,” MacConnell Picking said.
Genetics play a role in when and how much an animal sheds its winter coat in the spring. “Hair shedding does have a genetic component and hair shedding EPDs are starting to become available for producers to use when selecting sires,” MacConnell Picking stated. Producers may want to consider utilizing the hair shedding EPD as another factor when identifying potential herd sires or replacement females. However, not all breed associations currently offer a hair shedding EPD for their animals.
If producers choose to consider hair shedding as a factor in culling, then they may want to implement hair shedding scores for the animals in their operation. “Hair shedding scores can be a useful tool for selecting replacements and making culling decisions,” MacConnell Picking said. Hair shedding scores consist of a scoring system of one to five, with one being a slick summer coat and five being a full winter coat. “Like body condition scoring, hair shedding scores can be somewhat subjective, so it is best to have a single person on the farm score all cattle,” MacConnell Picking explained. “May is a great time to record hair shedding scores,” she added. For more detailed specifics about how to implement a hair shedding scoring system producers can reach out to their local university extension livestock specialist.
6/24 Sellmeyer Farms Huge Farm Liquidation Auction – Afton, Okla. • B A Rigby & Associates
7/8 Live On-Site Real Estate & Personal Property Auction – Bluejacket, Okla.
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• J.B. Robison Auctioneers Realtors
5/27 Estate & Real Estate Auction –Cedarville, Ark. • Contrail Auction Service
6/5 Real Estate Auction – Mountainburg, Ark. • Reading Auction Service
— ZONE C AUCTIONS
5/22 Howard, Odle Living Estate Auction
– Springdale, Ark. • Auctions by Larry R. Williams
5/23 Farm Estate Auction – Huntsville, Ark. • Arkansas Professional Auctioneers
6/2 Mixed Estates and New Items Auction – Rogers, Ark. • S&S Auction Service
6/9 June G.O.A.T. Estate Auction –Sulphur Springs, Ark. • Barber Auctions
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5/27 Mobile Home, Tools, Furniture & Building Supplies Auction –Mountain Home, Ark. • Walker Auction Service
6/3 Joel & Robbie Hagemann Moving Auction – Marshall, Ark. • Ragland Auction Company
6/3 Living Estate Farm Auction –Jerusalem, Ark. • Roberson Real Estate and Auctioneers Inc.
6/3 Real Estate & Personal Property Auction – Morrilton, Ark. • Reading Auction Service
6/10 Crow Estate Auction – Leslie, Ark. • Lock Auction Service
5/29
6/3 Bed, Bath & Beyond Liquidation
Auction – Glenwood, Ark. • McGrew Auction Service
6/3 e late Bob & Jean Dunehew Real Estate & Estate Auction – Cape Fair, Mo. • Essick Auction & Realty
6/7 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes 6/7 at 10 a.m. – bigiron.com • Big Iron Auctions
6/8 Dan Wiedenfeld Estate Online
Auction – bidding closes 6/8 at 10 a.m. – bigiron.com
• Big Iron
Auctions
6/13 Kevan Kaiser Retirement Online
Auction – bidding begins 5/23 at 7 p.m., bidding closes 6/13 at 10 a.m. –bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/24 Johnson Auction – Antlers, Okla. • Gann Auctions
6/27 Steve Laugal Retirement Online
Auction – bidding begins 6/6 at 7 p.m., bidding closes 6/27 at noon –bigiron.com • Big Iron Auctions
7/29 Annual July Consignment Auction –Paris, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
Covered Pens
Business Manager : Cody Vaughn 479-790-3432
Office Manager:
Cammy Whorton 479-524-2371 ext. 1
Field Representatives: Kevin Ruddick 479-790-9272
Mitch Bartholomew 479-263-9302
Doug Isaacs 918-696-1558
May 2023
23 Canning 101 Zoom Class – 5:30-7 p.m. – to register call 479-271-1060 or visit https://bit.ly/2023Canning101
23 Tree Workshop – 10 a.m.-noon – White County Extension Office, 2400 Old Searcy Landing Road, Searcy, Ark. – Free to the public, light refreshments will be served – for more information call 501-268-5394
24 CPR Certification Class – 8 a.m.-noon – First Electric Community Room, 150 Industrial Park Road, Heber Springs, Ark. – Cost: $10 – 501-362-2524
25 2nd Homesteading Event – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – for more information call 501-329-8344
27-28 Beef and Swine Show Clinic – North Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Ark. – to register call 479-667-3720
30 Small Ruminants Free Meeting – 6 p.m. – Marion County Fairgrounds, 513 E. Seawell Avenue, Summit, Ark. – 870-449-6349 or www.uaex.uada.edu/marion
June 2023
1 EIA (Coggins) Verification Class – 6 p.m. – Washington County Extension Office, 2536 N. McConnell Avenue, Fayetteville, Ark. – to register call 479-444-1755 or email rhorn@uada.edu
1-3 Okie Homesteading – Mayes County Fairgrounds, 2200 NE 1st, Pryor, Okla. – okiehomesteading.com
2-3 Le Flore County Quilt Show – 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – Kiamichi Technology Center, Poteau, Okla. – 918-647-8231
5-7 Cattlewomen’s Boot Camp – 8 a.m.-5 p.m. – Creek County Fairgrounds, Sapulpa, Okla. – for more information call 580-332-7011 or 918-224-2192 or visit, go.ozarksfn.com/frm
9-10 Sheep and Goat Show Clinic – North Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Ark. – to register call 479-667-3720
10 Lavender Festival – 9 a.m.-5 p.m. – AuxArc Botancials, Harrison, Ark. –visit auxarcbotanicals.com for more information
12-13, 15-16 4-H Rabies Vaccination Clinic in North Franklin County – multiple locations – Cost: $10 – for more information call the North Franklin County Extension Office at 479-667-3720
12 Canning Workshop – 4 p.m. – Cost: $15 per person – Conway County Extension Office, Morrilton, Ark. – to pre-register call 501-354-9618
20-22 4-H Day Camp – Ozarks, Ark. – call the North Franklin County Extension Office for more information 479-667-3720
22 2023 Food Preservation Workshop: Canning Tomatoes/Freezing – 5:30-8 p.m. – Cost: $10 – Benton County Extension Office, Bentonville, Ark. – register by June 19 – call 479-271-1060
24 Hands-On Ladies’ Learning Event, FarmHer’s Market & Craft Show –9 a.m.-4 p.m. – Clayton Corner Farm, 52990 E. 230 Rd., Afton, Okla. –918-752-7100
May 2023
27 National Braunvieh Field Day – McBee Cattle Company, Fayette, Mo. –573-228-2517
June 2023
4 Hawkeye Country Angus Sale – Bloomfield Livestock Market, Bloomfield, Iowa – 940-531-1851
8-10 Missouri Junior Cattlemen’s Association Replacement Heifer Show & Sale – Missouri State Fairgrounds Youth Building, Sedalia, Mo. – lisa@mocattle.com
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
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