Ofn dummy 5 25 15 by Eric Tietze

Resourcefulness & An Eye On Cost

MAY 25, 2015â&#x20AC;˘ 28 PAGES

VOLUME 9, NUMBER 5 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

West Fork, Ark., family focuses on building a bigger, better barn

MAY 25, 2015

Childhood Dreams Become Reality After retiring in 2003, Larry James returns to the skills he learned as a child

Going Native

Beef Mo Buildingnth, Constru s & ction Issue

Using warm season grasses to fill the forage gap

Selling Cattle Since 1967 The Farmers Livestock Auction and Harold Sargent continue a family tradition Serving More Than 24,000 Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

rumor mill

Tyson to cut human antibiotics from chickens by 2017: Tyson Foods Inc., of Springdale, Ark., has announced that it will eliminate the use of human antibiotics from U.S. broiler chicken flocks by September 2017. The company said it has stopped using all antibiotics in its 35 broiler hatcheries and required a veterinary prescription for antibiotics used on broiler farms. Tyson’s announcement followed similar pledges by chicken producers such as Pilgrim’s Pride to reduce or eliminate use of human antibiotics, which have been used to promote growth in chicken flocks. Conway, Ark., native tapped for internship: Lindsey Triplett, 20, is interning with the public relations department of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. She is the daughter of Angela and the late Earl Triplett of Conway and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with an emphasis in public relations from Arkansas Tech University. She was one of two interns selected for a 12-week internship.Triplett is helping the organization with a number of its summer activities and will contribute to its different publications. She’ll also work with social media and marketing strategies. Record winter wheat crop expected in Oklahoma: The US Department of Agriculture’s May 2015 Crop Production Report for Winter Wheat is predicting that Oklahoma wheat farmers will harvest their best crop since 2012, with an estimated 118.9 million bushels to be harvested this month and next. The National Ag Statistics Service believes that 4.1 million acres will be harvested in Oklahoma this yearand NASS is estimating a yield of 29 bushels per acre. The estimate sharply higher than the 47.6 million bushels that Oklahoma wheat farmers combined in 2014. Arkansas lawmakers pass bill to block proposed EPA rule: The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act which will block implementation of EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. rule and force the agency to develop a new rule by accepting input from state and local governments and industries, including agriculture, that would be affected by it. Randy Veach, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, said the legislation sent a “strong message” to the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers that the EPA proposal was “unacceptable.”

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MAY 25, 2015

VOL. 9, NO. 5

JUST A THOUGHT 3 Jerry Crownover – The first thing to go 4 Dusty Richards – A farewell 5 Julie Turner-Crawford – Big round bales

7 8 12

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 Larry James began living out his childhood dreams in 2003

Leaks construct new pasture-raised chicken houses for layers

10 11

Still selling cattle at Springdale, Ark.

Phillip and Sharon Rehm carefully select breeding stock with hands-on management

Town and Country spotlights David Bowen

Coker family focuses on building a bigger, better barn

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Austin Cook

Eye on Agribusiness features Outdoor Water Solutions

FARM HELP 22 Going native with pastures 23 High cattle prices boost equipment sales

24 25

Insuring your investment Reducing stress when handling cattle

16 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 25, 2015

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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 Dusty Richards, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production

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hey say the mind is the first thing to go. reto vofigure nworC reJ yB I have never been able outyrwho they are, but there are days when I think they might be right. Jerry Crownover is My calving season is almost finished, a farmer and former but I’ve got a few stragglers that I have to check professor of Agriculture each morning before I begin my day’s regular Education at Missouri activities. So, as I pulled into the creek place, I State University. He is a wasn’t surprised to see a newborn calf lying on native of Baxter County, the bank of the stream. As I approached the calf Arkansas, and an in my truck, a red cow strolled over to it. The author and professional vast majority of my cows are identified by a fourspeaker. To contact Jerry, digit number on their ear tag and that’s the numgo to ozarksfn.com and ber I use to keep my records, but this cow had lost click on ‘Contact Us.’ that tag and I identified her by the tag remaining in her other ear, most likely from the farm where she originated. It read No. 41. I could have sworn that No. 41 had already calved, so I retrieved the records from my smartphone and, sure enough, No. 41, a red cow, had delivered a live, healthy, red heifer...six weeks ago. Was I losing my mind? I’ve seen twins born a day apart, but six weeks apart? I watched the newborn follow the No. 41 cow into the woods while I scratched my head in amazement and began driving through the rest of the herd to see if I could possibly figure out what was going on. After fifteen minutes of driving from cow to cow, I found another red cow, which had lost her four-digit tag as well, and lo and behold, her farm tag also read No. 41. Looking at her udder, I concluded that she was suckling a calf and that was the one I had entered in my electronic records. What are the odds that two red cows (the majority of my herd is black) would have both lost their original tags and the back-up tag on each would be No. 41. When I got back home that morning, I relayed the incredulous story to my wife and she found it as odd and amazing as I did. “You’d better go back this afternoon and check on

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About the Cover After heavy snow destroyed his hay barn, Chris Coker decided to go bigger, better. Read more on page 16. Photo by Terry Ropp Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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

ell writing this column has certainly been lots of fun, sharing with you the many fun things that have happened to me and others. Letting me talk about some heroes who walked through my life and recognizing folks that carried me on their shoulders. You never know sometimes when someone hands you some advice if it is good or even worthwhile. All of us have been given advice and it went both ways. One lady wrote to ask me would a lariat rope encircling ones bedroll really stop a rattlesnake from crossing over to where they were lying asleep. I knew several folks did that to fend off serpents and I told her I wasn’t positive about that but none of them ever got bit. Of course the reply was, were they ever challenged? I answered that with I doubt they ever knew because they were asleep the entire night. My grandfather had a weekend place in Illinois when I was boy. It was on the Kankakee River. He had one of those old motors on his boat you pulled with a knotted rope to start. Every time we went out in the main channel he turned up stream. I never knew if fishing beyond that point was better or worse. Grandpa would never take a chance because about half the time we needed oars to get back to his boat dock. Even today I have to think about going downstream in my fishing boat – it may not start again. And paddling ain’t fun in a swift current, but it happens and always when the fish are biting and you could have caught a boat load. Crossing a black cat’s path is considered bad luck. I have known people headed for town stop, make a U turn short of his path and go home for the day. I don’t know how time would erase the bad luck, but they did it that way anyhow. Cowboys think it is unlucky to put your cowboy hat on a bed. Why they just about die if they see someone putting up coats for a guest and they put his cowboy hat on a bed. Superstition is funny. I was playing slots one night and this lady sitting beside me was rubbing and directing the machine like her efforts were going to change the reels. I mean she was waving and pounding on that machine; it was a sight to watch her. Finally I said, “Ma’am, next time your car won’t start, why don’t you rub the hood.” She didn’t smile, but I didn’t care. Her influence on that machine was nothing, but I guess it entertained her. A penny that is heads up is lucky. Tails means you won’t have any luck that day, leave it lie. After spilling a saltshaker, you should throw a handful over your left shoulder to save your future. Don’t throw it in anyone’s eye or you may get a fight out of the protection you are seeking. And gypsies spit every time they cross a bridge. I guess to add to it. Thanks for all the nice comments; writing this column has been lots of fun. I am, as many of you know, busy writing western novels. That business of late has picked up for me and made me increase my writing time on the Old West. And so partner, until we meet again and may all your sunsets be colorful. May your luck all be good and God bless you, your family and America.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 25, 2015

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y family gathered recently to celebrate the birthdays of my niece and nephew – the Wee Turners as I like to call them. As we apJulie Turner-Crawford proached their house, I saw a is a native of Dallas wonderful sight – about a dozen kids jumping County, Mo., where she from big round bale to big round bale. My husgrew up on her family’s band said those bales were better than any tramfarm. She is a graduate poline or toy on the market. He’s right. of Missouri State The kids weren’t asking to go into house to play University. To contact video games or complaining that they were bored beJulie, call 1-866-532-1960 cause there was nothing to do, they made their own or by email at editor@ fun on those big round bales. They were all farm kids, ozarksfn.com. even if it was just for the day for some of them. They played in the pastures, played with the kittens in the barn, got dirty and they loved every minute of it. There are some advantages to being a farm kid that our in-town counterparts might not of had. I remember some of my friends saying I was “lucky” that I lived on a farm. I didn’t see it at the time, but they were right – I was a pretty lucky kid. I was lucky to have acres to run and play on, not just a city block. I was lucky to have parents who taught my brothers and I the value of hard work. I was lucky to learn about the circle of life at a young age and how to work with animals. I was lucky to have a pony named Tootsie, even though she did bite me, and a dog named Yeller that was my best friend when I was about 6 years old until I was in my early teens. I was lucky to grow up in a time when it was OK to go play in the woods without an adult. I was lucky to have a mom who didn’t complain about us coming home with dirty clothes and faces, and who didn’t complain too much when we washed heifers from time to time in the back yard. I was really lucky in the show ring one summer and won a couple of championship plaques with a heifer. Luckily, I was the only one at those shows with a Jersey heifer that year. — Continued on Next Page

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just a thought Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page When I was in my teens, we raised several bottle calves. I think we raised 20 or so at a time and I remember hauling bottles and 5-gallon buckets filled with milk replacer in my wheelbarrow back and forth across the road. Dad brought me home a brand new wheelbarrow once and I felt pretty lucky to have something that had higher sides and room for more bottles. Looking back, I had pretty good childhood and there are countless memories that I will forever carry with me. Luckily, the younger generation of my family is finding that growing up on a farm isn’t all that bad. I have two greatnieces who, at the ripe old age of 10 months, love to go feed cattle and hogs with their parents. Being a farm kid wasn’t always a bed of roses. There were chores to do, no matter the weather, and there were cuts, scraps

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 the new calf,” she instructed, “You know, you have been known to get confused from time to time.” Now, I was beginning to figure out who they, actually is. Late afternoon, before the sunset, I returned to the creek place to check on the newborn calf and its mother. I found them in the edge of the woods, with the little calf nursing his momma.

and bruises, and knocks on the head along the way, but luckily no broken bones. We didn’t always have what we wanted, but we had what we needed – and there were always bales of hay. After many years, Ozarks Farm & Neighbor columnist Dusty Richards has bid readers a farewell. We here at Ozarks Farm & Neighbor wish him well will in his continued writing ventures of telling the stories of the Old West, which I believe is his real passion. Dusty has offered a unique look at rural life and his stories of his younger days offered our readers an opportunity to walk down memory lane and recall their own childhood adventures. Our hats are off to Dusty as he continues down the next trail of his life and we wish him many happy days ahead.

They both seemed to be doing fine and my mind was somewhat eased compared to my flustered state of earlier in the day. I was chuckling to myself at the unusual circumstance which had presented itself, with two cows sporting the same number tag, when I looked closer at the cow with the newborn. There, I could now see, as plain as day, that her tag read No. 47, not No. 41. They are wrong. Eyesight is the first thing to go.

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MAY 25, 2015

meet your

Childhood Dreams Become Reality

neighbors

By Terry Ropp

After retiring in 2003, Larry James returned to the skills he learned as a child

n 1983, Larry James of Hindsville, Ark., and his father Darrel began piecing together land in hopes of someday having a full-time farm. Larry retired from town life in 2003 and began living his dream, using skills he began learning in childhood from his grandfather in Oklahoma. He now has around 300 cows, 20 heifers for spring breeding, 21 for fall breeding and 92 more to be bred later. Larry remembers the popularity of some exotic breeds, but through experience found calves too large at birth. “I don’t like pulling calves so about 20 years ago I returned to foundation Angus bulls and have pulled only three calves in the last seven or eight years,” Larry said. Larry’s heifer calves now weigh about 60 pounds at birth, with the bull calves weighing 5 to 10 pounds more. Better birth weights, however, are only part of Larry’s goals. He is also striving for better and more uniform cows and calves that convert grass to pounds quickly and efficiently. Larry has devised a tagging and recording system that makes identifying calves’

parental background simple and the perLarry and Kim James formance of any herd animal easy to achave a herd of about 300 cess when making breeding and culling cows at their Hindsville, decisions. Each calf has one ear tag with Ark., farm. the same number as its mother and one of six colored tabs to identify which of the 11 bulls or “flush brothers” fathered the calf. In addition, each calf is entered on intent of raising his own bulls for creating its own 5-by-7 card where birth, wean- a unified herd. “I want to be unable to tell the differing and growth rates are entered. If a cow doesn’t produce and have good maternal ence except that one is facing south and traits, she’s culled. If routine weighing in- one north,” he said. Last fall Larry selected 16 of those cows dicates a subpar calf, it’s gone. Decisions and transferred 16 sexed embryos. As a are ruled by the numbers. The tagging and a card system makes commercial breeder, he said he was more tracking bull performance assessable as well. interested in bloodlines than papers. He Five years ago, Larry added a SimAn- calculated if he had a 50 percent congus cross bull and tracked its influence ception rate, he would recoup the cost of on the herd. While steers showed no dif- a single bull for his new cow herd with ference, the heifers demonstrated higher one productive embryo transfer bull. He plans a breeding program to create milk production and were more docile. three-quarter sisters in order “If my cows are doing what to achieve a predictable and they’re supposed to be doHindsville, Ark. sustainable calf crop quality. ing, I shouldn’t have to sup“If I get my cows right, the plement except in extreme steers will take care of themconditions,” he explained. selves,” Larry said “The price Larry found and purchased difference between an average what he described as “good” calf and a good one keeps getting group of Angus cows with the

Photo by Terry Ropp

larger, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to get good calves on a continuing basis.” Larry’s goal is to sell 700-pound calves straight off the cow after having one round of vaccinations. Drawing on his experience in business, Larry does everything he can to keep overhead down which means doing as much as possible without outside help. To keep vet costs at an absolute minimum, he keeps medical supplies on hand, which range from a variable vaccination gun to syringes and antibiotics to needle and thread for prolapsed cows. Another aspect of self-sufficiency is haying. Larry leases 100 acres of Bermuda and hays a total of 1,800 large bales per year with most stored under shelter. His wife Kim is actively involved. Kim said, “I just love to get in a tractor and help with the haying.”

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Joe and Carel Leak have constructed two pasture-raised chicken houses for layers

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Joe and Carel Leak of Proctor, Okla., have constructed two pasture-raised chicken houses for layers whose eggs are destined to be marketed as pasture-raised and organic by Vital Farms. “Vital Farms ensures our eggs are everything they are advertised to be,” Joe said.

dimensions. Preferred Poultry is constructing the wooden truss, pole barn design enclosed houses. Floors are concrete for better disease control and to accommodate wetter hen litter. Joe said, “Cleanout with disinfectant is easy on these floors.” Although the birds spend much of their time outside, the construction of the houses is still important, so each one is to be built

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Originally based in Austin, Texas, Vital Farms has recently expanded and has started working with a number of farmers in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Joe and Carel will be two of the newest farmers to join the Vital team. They’ve been working long days to ensure their farm will be ready for their first flock. Vital Farms has provided directions for construction in addition to the basic outer dimensions of the chicken houses to promote optimum efficiency, including side doorway, windows and cooler

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

to meet the pasture-raised standards specified by Certified Humane, an independent farm animal welfare auditor. Easy outdoor access is essential, so there are adequate exit areas every 50 feet (at least 18 inches high and 21 inches wide). To cater to the hens’ needs, there are ample nest boxes with privacy screens and sufficient space for perching. Two and a half acres of surrounding Procter, Okla. pasture is required for every 1,000 birds on a regular rotational pasture basis, and the furthest point of pasture should be no MAY 25, 2015

meet your neighbors further from barn entrance than the hens are able to roam. Joe opted for one upgrade. He is installing a sophisticated alarm system that will alert him wherever he is. “I remember as a kid and going to town with my dad,” Joe said. “He was always pushing us to return quickly so he could check on his broiler chickens and houses. I can’t have that kind of pressure because I work on so many other things. Being alerted anywhere I am is critical for my success.” One reason Joe opted for a pastureraised/organic chicken operation was the opportunity to complete parts of the construction process himself. He cleared land for the houses and fencing, dug the water line trenches, ran the electric, and will finish the inside and set his own feed bins. “The operation requires less risk, provides a better profit margin with a quicker payout, and maintains a lighter environmental footprint,” Joe added. “Also, pastureraised houses are expected to have very few future upgrades. … The simplicity of this system is both beautiful and a modified return to more traditional rural agriculture.” Part of that return involves the chickens having access to grass and wooded pastures, which provide part of their feed, as well as exercise that enhances the breeds’ natural sturdiness. Birds are allowed outside 365 days a year unless weather conditions are prohibitive. Another part of returning to a more traditional rural-style is using sheep to maintain mandated grass height and goats to keep forest underbrush controlled. While Certified Humane will al-

low artificial shade, natural shade is preferred, which is perfect for Joe’s Ozarks terrain. Although the entire system is designed to make the nesting area as inviting as possible, external waterers are available when the chickens are outside. Vital Farms recommends either Bovans Brown or similar strains, resilient birds with a docile manner and high production rate. What this means for the farmer is less feed per bird, no water or feeder height adjustments and infrequent flock changes with less farmer time investment. The Leaks also have a commercial cattle operation on 360 owned and leased acres with 160 predominantly Angus mommas cows and three bulls, two Angus and one Simangus. “Black is what sells and what puts premiums on calves. If you can get a good mix and put black on it, you have it made,” Joe said. Off the farm, Joe is a forest ranger. He’s on call 365 days a year, 24-hours a day and his specialty is dozing around wildfires to prevent spreading. His area has 300 to 800 fires a year with as many as seven in a day during high danger season. “None of this would be possible without my wife who is not only unafraid to speak her mind but also does whatever needs to be done when it needs to be done. She is my full partner,” Joe said of his family’s farming operation. The Leaks have two older daughters, Katie and EmmaLee, who no longer live at home, and three children living the farm life they love: 16-year-old Philip, 3 1/2-year-old Jorel and Michael who is less than a year old.

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MAY 25, 2015

Reaching the World’s LARGEST Buyer Base

CLINT BERRY 417-844-1009

AVAILABLE NOW: 300 Angus bred heifers calving August and September for 35 days. 200 Angus bred heifers calving September and October for 45 days. 50 Red Angus AI bred heifers calving mid-August.

Nixa, Missouri

nixahardware.com

Wholesale Seed Division

417-725-3512 • 1-800-648-7379

Wt. Lbs.

Total Germ.

$ Lb.

Bag Lb.

RED CLOVERS

Wt. Lbs.

Total Germ.

ALFALFAS

60 GAINER III MIX, Not Coated 90% 1.94

60 COMMON SENSE

Inoc., 80% Red, 121/2% Ladino

Inoc., Not Coated, 87% Red Clover, 12.5% Ladino, 5.5% Alsike

60 GAINER II MIX 60 KENSTAR

90% 1.88 90% 1.86

Forage, Inoc., Not Coated 50 KENLAND, Cert., Raw 50 MEDIUM RED, Raw 50 MAMMOTH RED, Raw

2.16 1.74 1.78

OTHER CLOVERS

50 LADINO, “JUMBO”

Inoc., Not Coated, Big Leaf, Excellent Re-Growth

Inoc., Not Coated

50 LADINO “ROYAL”

90% 3.94 3.74

90% 3.66 3.46

Bag Lb.

90% 3.24

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

50 BUFFALO 90% 3.24 50 1035 VARIETY 3.34 50 VERNAL,Winter Hardy 3.16 50 HAYGRAZER, Inoc., Not Coated 3.88 50 CIMARRON, VL400, Inoc., Not Coated 3.88 50 America’s Roundup Ready® 7.36

SUDAN/MILLET

.52 Piper Cross = Low Prussic Acid 50 SWEET CHOW, “BMR” 6 Sudan .89 50 HYBRID PEARL, Millet, Sweet Graze 1.14 50 MILLET, GERMAN, Strain R .66 50 SAFE “T” GRAZE, Sudan

50 WHITE CLOVER, “Nitro” 3.62 50 ALSIKE, Perennial 90% 2.68 25 DURANA, White Clover, ASK Coated, 65% Purity 50 SWEET, Yellow Blossom 88% 1.88 1.68 50 SWEET, White Blossom 82% 3.44 3.24 50 ARROWLEAF, Yuchi, Winter Annual 1.98 1.78 50 CRIMSON, Winter Annual 90% 1.16

GRAINS

Bu.

Bag

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

Safe T Graze Sudan is the Summer Solution for Hay & Pasture! Low Prussic Acid!

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

GRAIN ADDITIVES

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

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

SAVE YOUR SEED SAMPLE

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

SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE

ozarks

roots

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

Harold Sargent, right, has been in the livestock auction business since 1967. Also pictured is his son-in-law, Kevin Hampton.

Selling Cattle Since 1967 By Terry Ropp

The Farmers Livestock Auction and Harold Sargent continue a family tradition in Springdale, Ark. The Springdale auction barn in Springdale, Ark., was built in 1944 with the first Rodeo of the Ozarks taking place in the back pens behind the current sale barn 70 years ago. The 8 1/2 acre facility was purchased by Harold Sargent and his father in 1967. That, however, was not the beginning of the Sargent venture into selling livestock. Originally, Harold’s father was a meat cutter and a “wanna be farmer.” He decided the best choice for him was build a sale barn in Van Buren with a partner. That meant Harold learned the auction business while growing up, especially since there was only 17 years difference between Harold and his father. Farmers Livestock Auction, Inc., therefore, began in 1967 though the building was run down and the business deteriorating. Harold did a lot of the footwork, that is going out and meeting farmers, shaking hands and drumming up business. Harold remembers early on crossing half a 40-acre field one day to meet Ocil Rothabottom on his tractor. Ocil said anybody who would cross the field to talk to him was somebody worth doing business with. That began a 50-year relationship that is now continuing with all four of Ocil’s sons who drive as much as 160 miles to sell their cattle at the Springdale facility. “The key to success in our business is being willing to work long hours, maintaining complete honesty with people and having your word be good year after year because the majority of the business is made up of long-term, repeat customers,” Harold said. As the agricultural industry has changed over the years, so have livestock sales. In the 1970s, the business sold 2,000 to 3,000 head weekly with the market dominated by larger Charolais. Breed preference changed to a Limousin and then to crossbred Brahma’s in the mid-1980s. By the late 1980s, the black Angus market was dominant. Further, in the mid1990s, sales ranged 3,000 to 4,000 head a week but are currently down to 600 head a week. “Cattle are now three times the value so we do not need as many to make a living,” Harold said. “The cattle are better and the people are smarter and wiser in their production practices.”

Harold’s father retired 10 years after the Springdale operation began. Harold then shared the business with his son Justin for five years before Justin became inexplicably allergic to cattle and everything in the area and couldn’t even eat beef more than just very occasionally, Harold said. Kevin Hampton, husband of Harold’s daughter Gina, was raising cattle on land shared with Harold, as well as being in the rodeo business by supplying animals to various rodeos. When Justin left, Kevin came in and has now been in the business for eight or nine years. He manages the help, receiving and shipping while Harold sets the starting price of each sale. The business supports two full-time employees in addition to Harold and Kevin. One is Marita Blair, who has been running the books and office for 22 years. The other is Kevin Lynch, a yard man, for 14 years. “We have a real solid core of people who have worked with us for years on sale days,” Harold said. “Some work the auction circuit and others do this in addition to farming themselves.” Auction day is busy and cattle are sold in the order they are received according to various categories: calves and yearlings, stock cows and bred heifers, butcher cows and bulls, in that order. Not surprisingly, the operation requires continuous maintenance. Welded pens are repaired and manure removed weekly. Sales centered maintenance includes cattle pens filled with hay and waterers, and footing checked on both the ramps and the grounds with river sand used for better traction. Harold and Kevin both have commercial cattle herds on 2,000 owned and rented acres. Harold has 75 mommas and four Angus bulls. Because he loves buying and selling, his herd is constantly changing as he trades them off when a profit is to be made. Kevin, on the other hand, maintains a herd of 105 mommas with five Simmental/ Angus bulls because he prefers greater hybrid vigor from the diversity.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 25, 2015

eye on

agri-business meeting the needs of farmers

Outdoor Water Solutions

Rent the Marshall Tree Saw

Your #1 Choice!

• In Improving Your Land For More Cattle Production • Increasing Your Property’s Value • Improving Overall Landscape

at 2520 N. Eastgate, Springfield, Mo.

Call for More Info Today!

417-865-3535

Owners: John and Tonya Redd Location: Springdale, Ark. History: “After graduating with an Ag Econ degree, I worked for 20 years for a major seed and biotech firm. In 2005, Tonya and I started Outdoor Water Solutions. Even though we both grew up on farms in northeastern Missouri, at the time we didn’t realize how important clean water was for animals,” John Redd. “Now technology has solutions for cleaning water for animal and human consumption as well as for environmental and recreational purposes. We wanted people to enjoy their ponds as well as improve cattle health and weight gain. We started in Springdale and now have an international company with an office in Missouri as well. Our Springdale site has expanded three times, and our product line has grown from 20 to 160 products, many of which we have redesigned and improved ourselves.” Products and Services: “An aerator adds oxygen and circulates water in ponds from the bottom up which eliminates most moss and muck. It is a self-sustaining system powered by wind, solar or electrical energy or by a customized combination. Components include a heavy-duty compressor, one to three airlines, and a diffuser which sits on the pond bottom aerating and circulating the water. This process promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria which in turn consume excess nutrients and organic matter. Other products we offer toward our goal of making ponds as multipurpose as possible include pond docks, pond dye, fish feeders, water pumps, artificial fish habitats and fountains. For further support we also carry a full line of weed and algae control products. An additional advantage of this system for farmers is eliminating the unpleasant task of chopping ice to water livestock in winter since pond water is constantly circulating. Story and Photo By Terry Ropp MAY 25, 2015

GRAY BROTHERS EQUIPMENT

Where if you pick ORANGE.......you’ll never get a lemon! FT. SMITH, AR 2900 Wheeler Ave.

479-646-7369

POTEAU, OK 28377 US Hwy 59

918-647-8000

*$0 down, 0% A.P.R. financing for 60 months on purchases of new Kubota L2501DT Equipment is available to qualified purchasers from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory through 6/30/2015. Example: A 60-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 60 payments of $16.67 per $1,000 financed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. 0% A.P.R. and low-rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 6/30/2015. See us for © Kubota Tractor details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information. **Payments of $199.99 per month on new Corporation, 2015 Kubota L2501DT based on limited time promotional price of $11,999.40 with $0 down and 0% A.P.R. financing for 60 months from participating dealerships only. Payments do not include implements, freight, delivery, dealer prep or local taxes where applicable. Dealer participation may vary. Dealer sets actual selling price and fees. Offer expires 6/30/2015. Optional equipment may be shown.

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

E-Z Haul Hay Handler Trailers 32’, 36’ & 40’ IN STOCK

Photos by Barbara Aitken

• 2 6,000 lb. axles • 1 Axle Equipped with Brakes • Double Latch System for Extra Safety & Less Stress on the Trailer

3 Year l Structura ty n Warra

More Than Just A Feed Store

meet your neighbors

1-800-364-0933 • 918-341-0933 721 W. 6th St. Claremore, OK www.stillwatermillingcompany.com Mon.-Fri. 8-6 • Sat. 8-5

Phillip and Sharon Rehm have the second largest Angus herd in Logan County, Ark.

Focusing on Bulls By Barbara Aitken

Reliable Poultry Supply “OUR NAME SAYS IT ALL” Service Work Weekend & Daily Retro Fits Free Estimates

Springdale

2974 E. Emma St.

479-751-7511 Neosho

13991 Pennell Ln.

417-451-0807 Green Forest

1003 Ventura Ave.

870-438-5541 Siloam Springs 1629 E. Main St.

479-373-6590

www.reliablepoultry.com Shops, barns, stacking sheds, compost sheds, work sheds and generator sheds. Turn key projects: poultry houses, turkey breeder and broiler

Check out our new Greenwood Store! 1724 W. Center St.

479-996-1377 479-996-1378

Phillip and Sharon Rehm carefully select breeding stock with hands-on management

n a spring evening, nes- They also wanted their kids to be raised tled in the valley between around animals. Pine Ridge Mountain and “When we decided to start a herd tothe Ozark National For- gether, we weighed the pros and cons of est, Phillip and Sharon different breeds,” Sharon said. “We fell Rehm check their herd before nightfall. into the Angus and knew we’d found The grass stands thick, green and lush what we’d been looking for. in the far pasture of Rehm Angus Farms. “Our three kids had an active role in The cattle move quietly across the field, our operation in their youth. Each of the munching the entire way. To the Rehms, kids had cattle of their own and showed this moment is Heaven on Earth. from the 4-H County Fair level all the Phillip, an engineer at the Nuclear way to the National Angus Shows.” One Plant in Russellville, Ark., and Sharon said. Sharon, a retired high school mathHowever, what started as a family project ematics teacher, started their purebred has developed into a successful operation. registered Black Angus herd Now in 2015, Rehm Angus in 1994 when they moved to Farms has the second largest New Blaine, Ark. herd of purebred Black AnNew Blaine, Ark. Having both grown up gus in Logan County, Ark. on a farm, it was important They focus their operation to Phillip and Sharon that on herd bull prospects. they raised their children in that environment as well. — Continued on Page 18

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MAY 25, 2015

town &

country

in the field and in the office

David Bowen Family: Wife Sabrina Bowen with five grown children, Jessica, Daniel, Tyler, Hunter, Megan; and five grandchildren, Noah, Evie, Elijah, Caitlin and Macy. Town Life: “I am part of a family owned business called Richland Handle Company (in Wesley, Ark.) and part of the fifth generation in the woodworking industry. We still use an ax handle machine purchased by my great-great grandfather in 1850 and hauled from Springfield, Mo., by oxen. We make ax, shovel and hand tool handles of all kinds shipping all over the United States, especially to California and sometimes to Canada though the tools the handles are used to complete can go anywhere. We even made handles for tools that were part of the 9/11 cleanup. We have over 20 employees on the payroll, which is down from 82 in the 1980s. We also fabricate the metal ferrules for hoe and fork handles. We find that more economical than purchasing them and also sell to other companies because we can sell in smaller quantities than the huge manufacturers.” Country Life: “I own 250 acres and use my grandfather’s farm of 50 acres as well is leasing a couple of other farms. I keep at least 150 Angus/Gelbvieh cross mamas and am in the process to changing to Hereford bulls because my wife wants Black Baldies and because they sell well. The switch is also important because I keep replacement heifers and it is time to vary the genetics. Because I am so busy in my town life, I hire neighbors to harvest my hay and have used the same people for years. I built large hay barns to store the extra hay, I fertilize every spring and have 17 or 18 crossed fenced pastures where I use rotational grazing. The cows let me know when it’s time to move because they are accustomed to the system and wait by the gate for me to give them access to a new pasture. I sell calves both in the spring and fall after they have been weaned, given two rounds of shots, and checked for good all around health. Because I got tired of hiring people to help me, I built lanes so my dog and I can get the cattle in the working facility by ourselves in 30 minute. The truth is, I like my cattle and they are more than just an income to me. My town life is busy and stressful and my country life is just what the doctor ordered.”

Benton County Sale Barn, Inc. 25 Years of Serving the Tri-State Area

Sale Every Thursday at 12 p.m.

Great Service, Low Rates! Commission Rates 2.5% on all calves 3% on all cows & bulls

Please contact one of our Field Representatives for more information! Cody Vaughn 479-790-3432 Joe Simpson 918-207-7123

Covered Pens • Easy Unloading • Cattle Received Wednesday & Thursday • Comfortable Seating with Good Views of Sales Arena • Hauling Available

Listen Friday a.m. KURM 790 Sale Barn Report!

3870 Highway 412 East, Siloam Springs, AR • 479-524-2371

Story and Photo By Terry Ropp MAY 25, 2015

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

market sale

steers 550-600 LBS.

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

slaughter

(Week of 5/10/15 to 5/16/15)

273.86 *

254.22 262.00

250.00 263.26

* 261.87 258.40 253.12 Week of 4/26/15

251.08 255.58 262.51 264.04 256.08 252.04 244.92 250.20 268.66 265.30

265.00

278.40 251.49 251.66 247.98 255.90 265.88 267.12 258.58 247.38

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 159.00-163.50; wtd. avg. price 160.94. Heifers: 158.00-162.00; wtd. avg. price 160.33. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 252.00-257.00; wtd. avg. price 255.85. Heifers: 250.00-257.00; wtd. avg. price 255.34.

115.00-144.00 † 128.00-150.50 † Not Reported* 120.00-151.00* 124.00-150.00 † 139.00-143.00 †

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

262.72 239.99 245.27

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

Bred and Springer Cows: Supreme 2050.00-2275.00, Approved 1675.00-2000.00, Individual Crossbred 1875.00, Jersey 1525.00-1750.00. 5/17/15 Baby Calves: Holstein Heifers 440.00-520.00, Holstein Bulls 450.00-570.00, Jersey Bulls 220.00-270.00, Crossbred Heifers 270.00-290.00, Crossbred Bulls 220.00-370.00, Beef Cross Heifers 475.00-570.00, Beef Cross Bulls 370.00-560.00.

sheep &

dairy cattle

131.00-149.50 † 121.00-154.00 † 120.00-151.00* None Reported*

Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards

125.00-155.00 † 127.00-144.50 †

5/14/2015

Receipts: 353 At this month’s special dairy sale at the Producers Auction 126.00-135.50 † Yard, demand was good on a moderate supply. The supply 122.00-154.00 † consisted of 5 percent Springer Heifers, 5 percent Bred 130.00-161.00* Heifers, 26 percent Open Heifers, 4 percent Fresh and 111.00-147.00 † Milking Cows, 8 percent Bred Cows and 16 percent baby 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 calves. The balance was made up of weigh cows and beef animals. All quotes are on a per head basis for Holsteins unless noted otherwise. Springer Heifers Bred Seven to Nine Months: Supreme 2150.00-2250.00, Approved 1650.00-1875.00, Individual Crossbred 1575.00, Medium 1225.00-1525.00, Individual Jersey (Week of 5/10/15 to 5/16/15) 1125.00. † Arkansas Cattle Auction Heifers Bred Four to Six Months: Supreme Individual 94.00-117.00 † Ash Flat Livestock 2000.00, Individual Crossbred 1800.00, Approved 1625.0090.00-130.00 9 † 1875.00, Individual Crossbred 1700.00, Individual Brown Swiss 85.00-131.00 8 Benton County Sale Barn 1600.00, Medium 1250.00-1400.00, Individual Jersey 1475.00. Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 95.00-129.00* Heifers Bred One to Three Months: Approved Individual Cleburne County Livestock Auction 105.00-115.00 † 1600.00, Individual Crossbred 1500.00. 104.00-116.50 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Open heifers: Approved 200-300 660.00-725.00, Crossbred Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* 650.00-685.00, Pkg 3 hd Jersey 690.00, 300-400 810.00-840.00, 99.00-139.00* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita 9 Crossbred 825.00-875.00, 400-500 900.00-970.00, Crossbred Farmers Livestock - Springdale 98.00-122.00 † 960.00-970.00, 500-600 960.00-1075.00, Individual Crossbred Ft. Smith Livestock 105.00-117.50 † 1150.00, 600-700 1160.00-1240.00, Individual Crossbred I-40 Livestock 88.00-117.00 † 1010.00, 700-800 Pair Crossbred 1250.00, 800-900 Individual Joplin Regional Stockyards 85.00-130.00 † 1350.00, Medium 200-300 Individual Crossbred 510.00, Mid-State Stockyards 90.00-122.00* 400-500 Pair 740.00, 600-700 Individual 1010.00, Individual Mo-Ark - Exeter 95.00-139.00* Shorthorn 1000.00, 700-800 Individual 1025.00, Jersey 835.00North Arkansas Livestock 82.00-132.00 † 880.00. 102.00-131.00 † OKC West - El Reno Fresh Milking Heifers and Cows: Supreme 1900.00-2350.00, 92.00-117.00 † Ouachita Livestock Auction Approved 1450.00-1800.00, Individual Crossbred 1525.00, 88.00-134.00 † Ozarks Regional Stockyard Individual Shorthorn 1575.00, Medium 1125.00-1275.00, Stilwell Livestock Auction 92.00-129.00* Crossbred 1050.00-1100.00, Individual Jersey 1100.00, Tulsa Livestock 72.00-128.00 † 7 Common Crossbred 725.00-785.00. OKC West - El Reno Livestock Ouachita Livestock Auction Ozarks Regional Stockyard Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction

slaughter

cows

100

120

140

160

255.94 254.54 270.34 266.51

* * 256.00 259.28 Week of 5/10/15

* 266.32 257.33 256.96 270.00 250.90 250.04 256.18 * 269.36 200

224 248 272 296 320 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale - Weather

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

14 14

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

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

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

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 5/12/15

Ash Flat Livestock

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

5/15/15

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 5/14/15

5/13/15

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 5/11/15

County Line Sale Ratcliff 5/13/15

822

727

690

1118

110

Steady

Uneven

-----

3-10 Higher

305.00-352.50 265.00-306.00 240.00-278.00 220.00-244.00 212.50-213.00

----290.00 273.00 237.00 -----

319.00-385.00 281.00-316.00 242.00-275.00 240.00 -----

290.00-370.00 260.00-320.00 245.00-276.00 215.00-246.00 -----

317.50-325.00 --------231.00 -----

310.00-350.00 305.00-315.00 270.00-280.00 251.00 -----

----245.00-267.50 232.50-265.00 215.00-225.00 -----

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

304.00-313.00 275.00-294.00 230.00-270.00 216.00-233.00 202.00-220.00

250.00-340.00 245.00-310.00 230.00-265.00 200.00-237.00 200.00-204.00

----265.00-285.00 247.00-258.00 ---------

----280.00 265.00 225.00-227.50 -----

267.50-312.50 230.00-275.00 220.00-242.50 200.00-220.00 -----

--------300.00 ---------

265.00-313.00 245.00-274.00 216.00-225.00 210.00 -----

260.00-319.00 230.00-275.00 215.00-240.00 190.00-216.00 185.00-219.00

310.00 265.00 224.00-238.00 217.00-221.00 211.00-213.00

290.00-295.00 250.00-270.00 242.00-250.00 236.00 190.00-220.00

goats

stocker & feeder

Decatur Livestock* -----

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale 5/13/15 5/15/15

Ft. Smith Livestock 5/11/15

ILives Oz 5/1

-----

707

505

100

-----

Steady

Uneven

Firm

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

307.00-385.00 285.00-307.00 250.00-285.00 222.00-250.00 -----

360.00 282.00-300.00 253.00-282.50 244.00-252.00 -----

319.00-367.50 286.00 256.00-262.00 246.00 -----

315.0 280.0 253.0 233.0 213.5

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

307.50-312.50 275.00-306.00 232.00-275.00 217.00-237.00 -----

----241.00-257.00 220.00-235.00 ---------

290.0 272.5 250.0 223.0 208.0

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

270.00-323.00 212.00-230.00 226.00-262.00 200.00 -----

268.00-302.50 250.00-277.50 218.00-254.00 218.00-230.00 202.50-203.00

----240.00-247.00 231.00-237.00 ---------

295.0 250.0 230.0 -

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Koshkonong, Mo • Oreg

Receipts: 125 All goats and sheep Graders and bough buying station. Offe goats and 38 percen will be Saturday, M to accept goats from per cwt. GOATS: Slaughter Kids: Sel Diamond, Mo • TS Whites Sheep and Goat Sale 5/07/15 250.00. Selection 2 Selection 2-3 45-60 Receipts: 1463 Supply good and demand good to very good. All prices steady 61-80 lbs 135.00. Slaughter Does/Na to lower. Supply included 9 percent slaughter ewes, 40 3 85.00. percent slaughter lambs, 25 percent slaughter goats, 25 Slaughter Bucks: S percent Bucks and Does. All prices per hundred weight grade 135.00. (CWT) unless noted otherwise. SHEEP: SHEEP: Slaughter Lambs: G Slaughter Lambs: Wooled Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 hair 175.00-205.00. 40-60 lbs 210.00-220.00, 60-80 lbs 105.00-215.00, 80-90 lbs Slaughter Ewes: Ut 182.50-185.00, 100-125 lbs 145.00-160.00. Hair Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 40-60 lbs 205.00-220.00; National Sheep Summary 60-80 lbs 195.00-210.00. Mixed Good and Choice 2-3 20-35 lbs 155.00-175.00; 20-40 lbs 200.00-215.00; 45-60 lbs 175.00- Compared to last w sharply lower. Slau 195.00; 60-72 lbs 135.00-155.00; 80-95 lbs 175.00-190.00. Slaughter Ewes: Wooled: Good 1-2 125-240 lbs 70.00-95.00. 10.00 lower, excep Hair: Good 3-4 55-120 lbs 100.00-110.00. Utility 1-2 115-165 higher. Feeder lam San Angelo, TX 75 lbs 82.50-95.00; 75-110 lbs 75.00-80.00. Electronic Auction Slaughter Rams: Wooled 110-235 lbs 65.00-85.00. and 1925 feeder la Families: Ewes with single or twin lambs at side 55.00-65.00 slaughter ewes wer and 75.00-90.00 per head. comparison on feed GOATS: sales of slaughter la Slaughter Classes: Kids Selection 1 25-35 lbs 290.00-310.00; higher, over 170 lb 40-70 lbs 295.00-305.00; 80-90 lbs 245.00-265.00. Selection 2 25-38 lbs 270.00-287.50; 40-75 lbs 270.00-290.00; 80-90 lbs of formula sales un lbs were 3.00 highe 215.00-235.00. Selection 2-3 25-40 lbs 205.00-225.00; 25-40 lbs 145.00-175.00; 40-65 lbs 225.00-265.00; 50-80 lbs 165.00- 85-95 lbs were 3.0 10.00-15.00 highe 205.00. Few light weights per head 25.00-45.00. lbs and down 17.83 Does: Selection 2-3 50-110 lbs 165.00-185.00; 60-150 lbs and 65 lbs and up . 190.00-220.00; 68-110 lbs 100.00-120.00; 90-125 lbs 115.00hundred weight (C 135.00; 70-135 lbs 140.00-160.00. Slaughter Lambs: C Bucks: Several replacements 65-240 lbs 225.00-295.00 per San Angelo: shorn head Selection 2-3 85-200 lbs 140.00-160.00; 85-162 lbs VA: no test. 120.00-135.00; 65-135 lbs 100.00-115.00. Replacement Does: Several Families with single and twin kids PA: shorn and wool Ft.Collins, CO: no at side 55.00-110.00 per head.

127 5(3257('

Week of 4/19/15

261.74

260.28

124.50-146.00 † 130.00-160.00 † 130.00-156.00*

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

beef

124.00-154.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction

249.40

Week of 5/3/15

bulls

MAY 25, 2015

ket sales reports

replacement

avg. grain prices

feeder

armers estock ringdale 5/15/15

prices

Elain

eola

Osc

usta

Aug

Pine

Bluf

229.19

Ash Flat Live 1100.00-2450.00 † 11 † ale Benton County Sale 1400.00-2275.00 14 400 Cattlemen’s 1175.00-2125.00 * 1175 Cleburne County Livestock Auction None Reported † County Line Sale - Ratcliff 108.00-129.00 † Prices reported per cwt Decatur Livestock Not Reported* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita 1800.00-2450.00 * 1500.00-2125.00 † Farmers Livestock 1075.00-1150.00 † Ft. Smith I-40 Livestock 1250.00-2450.00 † Joplin Regional 1425.00-2250.00 † 1200.00-2200.00 * Mid-State Stockyard Mo-Ark - Exeter 1680.00-2200.00* North Arkansas 1125.00-2075.00 †

217.08 Week of 4/19/15

236.06 230.56

1000.00-2600.00 †

1800.00-2500.00 * 1235.00-1775.00 †

1000

2000

3000

235.00

4000

pairs

cow/calf

(Week of 5/10/15 to 5/16/15)

1725.00-3350.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock

225.55

5000

218.04 236.00 233.94 229.77 230.94 227.60 226.53

1900.00-2650.00 †

Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Cleburne County Livestock County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock - Springdale

1800.00-2400.00 †

222.89

1800.00-2175.00 * 2200.00-3000.00 † 3200.00-3300.00 † Not Reported*

223.40 230.72 234.04

2200.00-3700.00 * 1800.00-2975.00 † 1900.00-2650.00 † 1625.00-2700.00 †

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

* 244.86

1600.00-3200.00 † 1400.00-2850.00 * None Reported*

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

229.98 221.27

1800.00-3075.00 † 1700.00-2500.00 †

229.99

1910.00-3000.00 † 1800.00-2600.00 † 2450.00-3050.00* 1725.00-2450.00 †

2000

3000

4000

231.80 237.00 231.59 *

5000

224.08 * 228.78

Mid-State Mo-Ark Stockyards* Exeter, Mo.* 5/11/15

5/16/15

100

500

5021

543

-----

938

7653

370

2607

1197

1002

Uneven

Firm

Uneven

Steady

-----

Uneven

St-6 Higher

Uneven

St-15 Higher

Higher

-----

360.00 2.00-300.00 3.00-282.50 4.00-252.00 -----

319.00-367.50 286.00 256.00-262.00 246.00 -----

315.00-355.00 280.00-311.00 253.00-273.00 233.00-239.00 213.50-215.00

315.00-345.00 283.00-317.50 254.00-293.00 228.00-265.00 214.00-237.00

300.00-365.00 280.00-325.00 260.00-281.00 225.00-251.00 200.00-220.00

296.00-350.00 299.00-314.00 271.00-290.00 233.00-259.00 212.00

304.00-357.50 273.00-319.00 248.00-285.00 238.00-258.00 195.00

352.50-382.50 320.00-338.00 283.00-305.00 249.00-280.00 218.75-232.00

318.00-369.00 280.00-281.00 255.00-275.00 240.00-249.00 210.00-230.00

330.00-360.00 292.00-336.00 264.00-295.00 230.00-263.00 220.00-229.50

310.00-385.00 270.00-325.00 250.00-280.00 230.00-258.00 210.00-230.00

----318.00-320.00 ----224.50-245.00 206.00-215.00

7.50-312.50 5.00-306.00 2.00-275.00 7.00-237.00 -----

----241.00-257.00 220.00-235.00 ---------

290.00-292.50 272.50-293.00 250.00-259.00 223.00-233.00 208.00-211.00

----260.00-290.00 237.00-277.50 225.00-235.00 207.00-213.00

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

300.00-340.00 260.00-288.00 239.00-269.00 220.00-235.00 201.00

328.00-337.50 256.00-305.00 238.00-275.00 217.00-238.50 194.00-213.00

355.00 290.00 258.50-280.00 237.00 183.00

285.00 273.00-275.00 ----219.00-232.00 198.00-211.00

----272.50-295.00 243.00-275.00 215.00-244.00 -----

300.00-380.00 260.00-315.00 230.00-270.00 210.00-238.00 200.00-219.00

301.00-306.00 ----246.00-270.00 234.00-239.00 200.50-215.00

MAY 25, 2015

231.66

222.08

5/11/15

279.00-317.50 245.00-285.00 224.00-251.00 204.00-227.00 199.00-213.25

240.36 234.17

215.85

505

295.00-327.50 250.00-264.00 230.00-258.00 ---------

232.45

1700.00-2550.00 † 1300.00-1750.00 †

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

1000

227.85

223.31

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 5/13/15

----240.00-247.00 231.00-237.00 ---------

Joplin Regional Stockyards 5/11/15

le na hevil Hele Blyt

Arkansas Cattle

I-40 Livestock Ozark 5/14/15

8.00-302.50 0.00-277.50 8.00-254.00 8.00-230.00 2.50-203.00

Ft. Smith Livestock

246.80

1100.00-2525.00 †

Week of 4/26/15

dairy sales

(Week of 5/10/15 to 5/16/15)

4/25/15

goats

cows

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

Week of 5/3/15

South Dakota: shorn and wooled 109 lbs 177.00; 120-130 lbs 167.00-168.00; 135-145 lbs 149.50-154.00; 153 lbs Receipts: 125 144.00. All goats and sheep graded by MO Dept of Ag-USDA .00, Holstein Bulls Graders and bought per cwt. based on in-weights at the Billings, MT: no test. Crossbred Heifers Kalona, IA: wooled 115-130 lbs 162.00-192.50. buying station. Offerings were made up of 62 percent 0.00, Beef Cross goats and 38 percent sheep. Next scheduled market date Missouri: 90-100 lbs 155.00-167.50; 100-115 lbs 161.000.00-560.00. 176.00; 140 lbs 152.50. will be Saturday, May 30th. The station will be open to accept goats from 9:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. All prices per cwt. GOATS: Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 45-60 lbs 280.00; 61-80 lbs National Dairy Market at a Glance 5/8/15 5/07/15 250.00. Selection 2 45-60 lbs 265.00; 61-80 lbs 230.00. Selection 2-3 45-60 lbs dairy influence 190.00. Selection 3 Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.6200 and 40# blocks at $1.6125. The weekly average for barrels is $1.6280 d. All prices steady 61-80 lbs 135.00. Slaughter Does/Nannies: Selection 1-2 115.00. Selection (+.0100) and blocks, $1.6105 (+.0005). hter ewes, 40 Fluid Milk: Milk production is up in the East and the Midwest 3 85.00. ghter goats, 25 Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1-2 115.00. yearling bucks any as large portions of both regions are nearing spring flush. Florida undred weight however has been steady with small declines in some areas. grade 135.00. Milk production is mixed in the West. Production is up in New SHEEP: Mexico and many industry contacts in the Pacific Northwest Slaughter Lambs: Good and Choice 2-3 80 lbs and under and Prime 2-3 are reporting at or near flush production. Milk intakes are hair 175.00-205.00. -215.00, 80-90 lbs reported lower in California. Bottling demand is flat in the Slaughter Ewes: Utility and Good 1-2 60.00. . East, and beginning to fall in the Midwest. In the West, sales lbs 205.00-220.00; 0 National Sheep Summary 5/15/15 into bottling were steady, but strengthened regionally with Choice 2-3 20-35 some consumer outlets featuring milk in various package sizes. 0; 45-60 lbs 175.00- Compared to last week slaughter lambs were steady to Eastern cream is readily available. Cream supplies are mixed sharply lower. Slaughter ewes were mostly steady to 175.00-190.00. in the Midwest and West. Some manufacturers are reporting 40 lbs 70.00-95.00. 10.00 lower, except at Ft. Collins, CO they were sharply stocks are tighter than expected, while others are reporting Utility 1-2 115-165 higher. Feeder lambs were steady to sharply lower. At San Angelo, TX 7558 head sold in a one day sale. Equity their cream utilization is at capacity within their facilities and Electronic Auction sold 770 slaughter lambs in Oregon have begun selling excess cream. 00-85.00. SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER and 1925 feeder lambs in Texas. In direct trading t side 55.00-65.00 POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper slaughter ewes were not tested and no comparable Midwest - $2.2692-2.3827. comparison on feeder lambs. 1700 head of negotiated sales of slaughter lambs under 170 lbs were 3.00-6.00 lbs 290.00-310.00; higher, over 170 lbs were not well tested. 11,000 head -265.00. Selection 0-290.00; 80-90 lbs of formula sales under 65 lbs were not well tested; 65-75 lbs were 3.00 higher; 75-85 lbs were 6.00-7.00 lower; Week Ended 5/19/15 5.00-225.00; 25-40 0; 50-80 lbs 165.00- 85-95 lbs were 3.00-4.00 higher and over 95 lbs were Soybeans Soft Wheat Corn Sorghum 10.00-15.00 higher. 5,214 lamb carcasses sold with 45 45.00. 20 lbs and down 17.83 lower; 45-65 lbs 2.29-3.47 higher 5.00; 60-150 lbs 16 and 65 lbs and up .51-1.47 lower. All sheep sold per 90-125 lbs 115.00hundred weight (CWT) unless otherwise specified. 12 9.76 9.66 9.76 9.43 9.36 Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 90-160 lbs: 25.00-295.00 per San Angelo: shorn and wooled 105-160 lbs 120.00-140.00. 8 00; 85-162 lbs 7.54 5.13 5.20 5.20 4.85 5.15 5.17 VA: no test. 4 single and twin kids PA: shorn and wooled 110-200 lbs 182.00-212.00. 3.82 3.78 3.78 3.47 Ft.Collins, CO: no test. Koshkonong, Mo • Oregon County Goat and Sheep Market

heifers 550-600 LBS.

265.00-310.00 240.00-275.00 220.00-244.00 200.00-219.00 194.00

294.00-312.00 263.00-279.00 238.00-257.00 205.00-230.00 195.00-202.00

269.00-310.00 240.00-265.00 214.00-247.00 207.00-224.00 201.00-206.00

OKC West - El Reno, Okla. 5/13/15

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. 5/15/15

Ozarks Regional West Plains 5/12/15

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 5/13/15

Tulsa Livestock Auction. 5/11/15

----281.00-285.00 247.00-267.50 212.00-239.00 197.00-214.50

301.00-330.00 261.00-271.00 230.00-248.00 217.00-231.00 -----

282.50-315.00 258.00-290.00 227.00-259.00 215.00-237.00 195.00-200.00

275.00-360.00 255.00-292.50 230.00-252.50 210.00-230.00 190.00-215.00

311.00-320.00 255.00 240.00-244.00 221.00-225.00 194.50-195.00

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

243.10 239.88

* 258.65 * 220.92 224.00

Week of 5/10/15

00-2275.00, ossbred 1875.00,

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

236.65 232.93 234.23 242.00 228.05 216.86 233.18 241.80 233.49

195

212 229 246 263 280 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale - Weather

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

15 15

meet your neighbors

Photo by Terry Ropp

Resourcefulness & An Eye On Cost By Terry Ropp

West Fork, Ark., family focuses on building a bigger, better barn

new hay barn sits near the road in West Fork, Ark. It is the latest construction project for Chris and Diana Coker, who run a 156acre family cattle operation. Raising and harvesting 350 round bales of hay per year is a key component in this operation. A previous barn, built in 1991, caved in under heavy snow during a snowstorm several years ago. Luckily the roof fell on top of the hay and Chris was able to pull bales out for use and tear down the destroyed structure as he emptied

space. Fortunately, Chris had and still uses a chicken house and another barn for hay storage, but additional storage was needed. Chris Coker stands with his herd near a recently completed barn. The new barn is a good example of The previous barn collapsed under heavy snow. farmer resourcefulness combined with an eye on cost. It was built on the losix to eight hours using a bull- trusses. Rebar was placed in each hole cation of the destroyed barn dozer. The trusses came off a adding another 4 feet of height before but with different dimenchicken house in Lincoln, the trusses were bolted to the rebar. sions. The old barn was 30 West Fork, Ark. but in order to use these Next, Chris used 16 inches by 4 feet feet by 100 feet while the trusses for the higher hay barn, Sonotube as concrete forms and poured new one is 46 feet by 50 feet. Chris had to dig eight, 3 foot by concrete into each of the holes. Then Because of the change in di3 foot holes 3 feet deep to serve the trusses were bolted into the rebar. mension size, a new pad had as footings to support and raise the Commercial panels were used for side to be prepared which took

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meet your neighbors and roof construction. Chris said, “This months. When Chris is ready to sell, he is one structure that should continue to calls the sale barn in Stilwell to see if it’s stand during a snowstorm. I’d rather not a good week for selling. do that again.” Wife Diana is also very involved in the Chris hays 120 acres, some on shares. operation. The land is mostly Fescue, Bermuda and “Diana has just as much interest in this White Clover, along with naturally oc- farm as I do and is as involved,” Chris said. curring Johnson“Because this is grass, which floura small herd and I ishes in summer don’t want to miss heat, and is an ima cycle, my bull runs portant part of the with the cows year mix on the bottomround. One of the lands. Chris also things Diana does is “Because this is a sometimes drills rye keep the books and small herd and I in his pastures for alerts me when a don’t want to miss a winter forage. Chris cow is about to give cycle, my bull runs explained that he birth so I can keep was able to manage a closer eye on her, with the cows year during the drought even though I’m round. One of the because the Johnwith my cattle every things Diana does son grass continued day. They are pets is keep the books to grow and he was that make us money, able to get a second which in turn keeps and alerts me when cutting that was the farm going.” a cow is about to close to waist high. Chris got started give birth so I can The land is crossed in the cattle busikeep a closer eye on fenced and has four ness when he was pastures used on a about 20 after workher, even though I’m rotational basis. ing at Ozarks Elecwith my cattle every “If a pasture looks tric for a year or so day. They are pets like horses have before he was able that make us money, been there, the cows to get a $5,000 loan which in turn keeps have been there way to buy eight cows too long,” said Chris. and one bull. He has the farm going.” The Coker herd worked at Ozarks has 23 mixed Angus Electric for 25 years – Chris Coker mommas and six and is now the manmixed Charolais. ager of operations. “Those Charolais are left over from In addition, Chris is also the fire chief of years ago and I’m just too sentimental the Strickler Fire Department, which was to get rid of them,” Chris said. “Besides, founded in 1986. they still produce good calves.” Fire department service is a family tradiHe also has a 16-year-old Beefmaster tion, starting with his grandfather and facow, a remnant from his father’s herd, ther. Chris’s son, Seth, is also a firefighter which was bottle fed and has produced and has just finished his fire science degree, 14 good calves over the years. The cows and is on the path to be a career fireman. are serviced by one Black Angus bull Their daughter, Catie, is now a senior Chris selected for temperament and in high school and plans to attend colsmaller sized calves who subsequently lege at the University of Arkansas, Fort gain weight well. Smith in the medical field. Diana has Chris administers black leg and Bangs worked for IGA for 29 years and manvaccinations in addition to worming as ages non-grocery, general merchandisneeded. Calves are castrated rather than ing in a local store. banded because that is what Chris’s father had always done. They are sold at 6

“

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

meet your neighbors Focusing on Bulls Continued from Page 12 “We sell all our bulls in state,” Sharon said. “Most of our bulls go to repeat customers in Arkansas.” The Rehms attribute their success to selectively choosing breeding stock and a rigorous hands-on management system.

“In 26 years, we’ve gone from three pastures to 13 paddocks where we do intensive rotational grazing,” said Phillip. Sharon, who manages the farm full time, rotates 30 head of cattle each morning to various paddocks, sometimes rotating up to three times daily in peak grass production stages. “We don’t even fertilize anymore because the cattle take care of that on their own.

“After years of buying and rolling hay out to the herd, we’ve naturally fertilized our fields with each bale we’ve fed,” Phillip explained when discussing the quality of their pastures. “It starts from the bottom up. In order to have good stock, they need to be eating good grass.” As for breeding, the Rehms focus on solid conformation. Phillip, who heads up the breeding portion of their opera-

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

tion, continually studies pedigrees and bloodlines looking for specific traits that would cross well between bull and cow. “I’m trying to get away from the ‘fads.’ I want animals with correct conformation that produce quality calves,” he said. The Rehms are currently artificially inseminating their cows to a bull from Ohlde Cattle Company in Kansas. “It is important that we stay true to the foundation of the Angus breed, and Ohlde bulls produce the quality we value,” said Phillip. Once the calves hit the ground, the Rehms strive to wean calves that weigh at least 50 percent of the cow’s weight – without grain assistance of any kind. Like many farmers who work fulltime off the farm, Phillip is often times up during the night working in the breeding shed. Since all of the cows’ cycles are synchronized, nighttime is his only opportunity. Phillip, who is nearing retirement, is looking forward to working fulltime on the farm alongside Sharon. “It’s nice to have Sharon available to check and move the cattle at any time during the day now,” Phillip says in regard to Sharon’s retirement. “Before, if a cow came in heat and we weren’t here to check we missed it. As for our rotational program, the only way it is possible is for her to be home.” The Rehms hope to build their herd to the mid-30s in the next few years. “When we’re both home, it will make a huge difference in what we’re able to do. We don’t intend to ever have a huge operation, we just want to do it right,” Phillip said. As for why they do what they do, Sharon finds the answer simple. “I want to be a part of something that makes a difference in people’s lives. I feel like being out with the cattle is doing just that. I know at the end of the day that I’ve done something worthwhile,” she said.

MAY 25, 2015

youth in

agriculture tomorrow’s ag leaders

Austin Cook Age: 15 Parents: Bryan and Jennifer Cook Hometown: Greenbrier, Ark. FFA Chapter: Greenbrier FFA FFA Advisor: Rodney Wiedower 4-H Chapter: Cloverleaf Agriculture Experience: Austin and his brothers, Andrew and Adam, began showing Herefords eight years ago. They now have about 20 Hereford, as well as chickens. Austin is very active in 4-H, competing in performance and cattle events. He is also on the FFA Beef Quiz Bowl Team. What are you most proud of? “I competed at (the National Western Stock Show) in Denver with Sky and won. I am definitely proud of that. What I enjoy the most is when all the hard work I put in pays off, and calving season. I rinse and dry the cows daily. I feed daily and I put out hay daily. It is a lot of work.” Who is your biggest influence: “My mom is my biggest influence. She was the first female (state) president (of the Arkansas FFA Association), back in the Stone Age.”

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Farm Finance By Amber Mase

n January, the United States Department of Agriculture released a report by the Economic Research Service entitled “Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems: A Report to Congress.” This congressionally Amber Mase is Asmandated report drew on USDA surveys, censuses sistant Vice President and statistical analyses as well as the available acaand Agriculture and demic literature to provide the latest information Commercial Lender for on the economics of local and regional food sysArvest Bank in Springtems to assess the scope of trends in the system. field, Mo. She can be One trend – a demand for locally grown foods by contacted at 417-885end-use consumers, grocery stores and restaurants 7367 or via email at – has jumped to the forefront of the public awareamase@arvest.com. ness and has seen steady growth. The number of farms with direct-to-consumer sales increased by 5.5 percent between 2007 and 2012. The estimate of total sales of local food was $6.1 billion in 2012, the report stated. It also stated that farms selling local food through direct-to-consumer channels were more likely to remain in business between 2007 and 2012 than farms not using direct-to-consumer sales. So how is a farmer to take advantage of the trend towards locally raised foods? Luckily, the 2014 Farm Bill added several new and reorganized programs to promote the production and marketing of locally and regionally grown foods. Several grant and loan programs are included to help with financing of upgrades, expansions and other needs. For example, there is the Value-Added Producer Grant program designed to help farmers develop farmer-based, value-added products such as cheese, jam, packaged meats and sausages. The program was reorganized to better serve small and midsized family farms, along with beginning, socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers. It was increased from $15 million to $65 million for 2014-2018 with $40 million authorized annually. The report stated, and it sets aside funds for local and regional food supply networks. The Rural Business Opportunity Grant and the Rural Business Enterprise Grant programs are now consolidated under the Rural Business Development Grants program, with up to $65 million authorized for annual funding for 2014 -2018. Although local food producers are not targeted, they have historically taken advantage of these programs. The USDA has also expanded the Farm Storage Facility Loan program, which provide low-interest financing to food producers to buy storage and processing equipment. The program has added 23 new categories of equipment for fruit and vegetable producers to finance cold storage facilities, sorting bins, wash stations and other food safety-related equipment. A 2008 Farm Bill program reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill is the Local and Regional Food Enterprise Loan account within the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. It provides federal guarantees for commercial loans to rural businesses to support development of local food system infrastructure, or businesses that process, distribute, aggregate, store and market foods produced either instate or transported less than 400 miles from where it originates. It can also fund projects in urban areas if the projects support farm and ranch income and expand healthy food access in underserved communities.

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farm

help

Making farming

a little easier

Going Native By Klaire Howerton

Using warm season grasses to fill the forage gap Just about every farmer and rancher, whether large scale or small, industrial or alternative, can agree on one important thing – grass is important. Without grass, livestock can’t eat, hay can’t be cut and farms and ranches can’t thrive. Grass is one of the key components in any agriculture endeavor, so good management practices and proper education on grass is essential. On a grazing operation, ideally you will be able to keep your stock on grass year round – but this can be difficult when the summer forage gap comes into play. Here is how planting some varieties of Ozarks native warm season grasses can help. A summer “forage gap” can occur when cool season grasses, such as fescue, have ran their course and go dormant as the weather warms. If you run a grazing livestock operation, this grassless gap can be a big problem, but native warm season grasses can come to your rescue. Forages that thrive in your geographical area and have a high heat tolerance can be a win-win for your farm – not only are they drought tolerant, but they require little to no fertilization and added inputs to thrive, which can greatly increase your profits margins, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Native grasses can also provide crucial benefits like food and shelter to wildlife. Andy Humble, Missouri Private Land Conservationist for Christian, Stone and Taney counties, notes that planting native grasses, such as Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and Sideoats Grama, can be a great asset to creating habitat for wildlife like bobwhite quail. The roots on wildlife-friendly native grasses tend to form a bigger, better base than non-native grasses, creating a forage system that uses water resources as efficiently as possible, and aids soil aeration and erosion control. Livestock tend to do well grazing on native grasses. In fact, according to an article by the University of Missouri Extension, native warm season grasses “are highly palatable to livestock prior to heading and can produce beef animal gain more than 2 pounds per day during summer.”

what do you say? What is the most useful construction project you have done on your farm?

“The best thing we’ve done is build a calving barn with a chute to help pull calves because we purposely have big ones.” Jimmy Brown Crawford County, Ark.

There are three particular varieties of native warm season grasses that grow very well in the Ozarks – Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and Switchgrass. Big Bluestem Grass, also known as Turkey-Foot, Bluejoint and Tall Bluestem, is a forage native to the Great Plains area and prairie regions of North America – and this includes the Ozarks. Big Bluestem adapts well to a wide variety of soil types and conditions, and is quite heat tolerant due to its deep, sod-like root system. The base of this grass turns to a bluish purple color as it matures, leading to the name.

Big Bluestem:

Indiangrass:

This striking native grass starts out growing low before shooting up to heights of 8 feet in the fall, and tends to grow in thick bunches. With its blue green leaf blades and golden shimmering seed heads, Indiangrass is often used as an ornamental plant, not just as a livestock forage. Indiangrass has a high drought tolerance, and is helpful to plant in regions where wind erosion is a problem.

Switchgrass:

Switchgrass is a hardy forage that can perform well even when planted in shallow, rocky soil types. Switchgrass does the majority of its growing in the long hot months of June, July and August and can provide excellent grazing material for livestock during this time period. Its tall, upright growing habits also make a field of Switchgrass a very protective home for wildlife, while allowing enough room at the ground level for critters to forage freely. Like any grass, native warm season grasses will produce best under good management – MU recommends careful weed control, and implementing rotational grazing into your program for successful growing of these hardy and helpful native grasses.

“I have bucking bulls who were tearing down old fencing, so replacing that fencing was essential if I want to keep my rodeo stock.” Kevin Hampton Washington County, Ark.

“All construction projects are useful or you wouldn’t do them, but for me land development including fencing has benefitted me the most.” Shane Griffith Sequoyah County, Okla.

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“I built a hay barn and corral facility so I could work the cattle by myself, something that is really important right now.” Mike Hargis Madison County, Ark.

MAY 25, 2015

farm help

High cattle prices boost equipment sales By Gary Digiusepee

Small to mid-sized tractors, livestock trailer sales grow as producers make upgrades Where there’s grass, cow/calf producers are making good money. Based on prices the week of April 25, Sterling Marketing in Vale, Ore., estimated the margin in 2015 at $541 per calf, and said it was $548 in 2014. That’s translated to increased equipment purchases; the Association of Equipment Manufacturers says sales of small to midsize tractors under 100 horsepower last year were up 8 percent, with much of the increase credited to improved profitability in the dairy and livestock sectors. “Anything to do with cattle equipment in the last six months has just been crazy,” said Bob Studebaker, owner of GoBob Pipe & Steel Sales in Mounds, Okla. Studebaker makes trailers, along with other products like hay feeders, bunk feeders and gates, and told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor he can’t keep up with demand for trailers. “Not really. Right now, people have to wait anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to get one.” Studebaker said he believes producers are willing to wait for a quality product. He got into the business after a stint with another company, where he discovered inexpensive trailers don’t last long. He consulted with several engineers and hit upon several techniques that he says help to defeat metal fatigue. He builds the entire trailer out of rectangular tubes, and transfers the twisting motion to a piece of pipe called a torsion tube. On the back end of the trailer, to alleviate the longitudinal stress his trailers use “ground stabilizers,” blocks that drop down to the ground from the ramps when they’re put into the loading position. “That way, the ground absorbs the weight of what you’re loading, not the main beams on the trailer,” he said. They also spread the axles 9 inches wider than MAY 25, 2015

typical trailers, run the wide beam all the way to the hitch, and uses 19 pound, rather than 14 pound, 12 inch beams. Studebaker said he has two three-man crews who build trailers “from the beginning until the stripes are put on; no one else touches it but those three guys.” But he said they’re not alone in falling behind on orders. “All of these guys I know from farm shows – they’re all just as busy as they can be,” Studebaker said. “The cattle people are making money, and they’re upgrading.” He also sells his own line of cattle handling equipment, and said as of the third week of April they were building equipment for orders taken in January. “I’ve had to farm out stuff; demand has been great,” he said Elaine Coose said her company, Coose Trailer Manufacturing, in Lockwood Mo, is also staying busy. “We are about four months out right now on an order; at the end of 2014 we were six months out,” Coose told OFN. But she said that hasn’t been unusual over the last four years, since the company came out with a new design called the Ranch Hand. She said, “We changed the style of our trailer; we use flaps on our sides, and offer it in a bar top and a metal top.” The Ranch Hand also has two relatively new safety features. The Gate-in-Gate is a small gate inside the center gate that is operable from the outside of the trailer. Coose said, “If you’re trying to load cattle, close the gate and decide, ‘I could have gotten another cow up front,’ you can open this from the outside and run one more in without opening up the big gate and getting inside the trailer, so it is a safety feature.” The trailer also has a slam latch on its butterfly rear gates, so the operator doesn’t have to walk up to the back of the trailer and insert a pin.

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farm help

Insuring Your Investment By Gary Digiuseppe

Know what your buildings are worth, how much you can spend to replace them Most agricultural producers take out insurance on their farm buildings. The biggest challenges are figuring out what those buildings are worth – and how much you can afford to lose. “One of the first conversations we would have with a producer we’re working on insurance with is, how much risk can the producer who self insures bear?” said Dan Childs, senior consultant and agricultural economist with the Samuel R. Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla. “For instance, if you have a structure worth $50,000, how much of that can you selfinsure if a portion, half or all of it, is blown away or destroyed in some form or fashion? There’s kind of a perception among us as producers that, you know, my neighbor’s got insurance on his barn, and that’s something that we’re supposed to do. We forget to consider our financial condition, you might say, in coming up with an idea of how much we can self-insure.” By self-insure, Childs means a deductible; the more of a deductible you’re willing to absorb, the lower the premium and the more cash you’ll have for the operation. “If a producer thinks it would not jeopardize the operations of the business if I had an across-the-board $5,000 or $10,000 deductible on my structures, it’s going to reduce my insurance premiums each year by an equal relationship to how much I can self-insure, versus how much I want to pay someone else to take that risk instead of me,” Childs explained. The producer also needs to come up with a value for each building. Usually, the condition of the building is assessed as “Excellent,” “Good,” “Fair” or “Poor.” “Typically you take into consideration depreciation of the facility,” Childs said. “You’re not going to get insurance to pay $50,000 for a $20,000 building when it’s gone. They’re replacing what you had, not what you want to have.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

You can also insure machinery inside the buildings. “Each (piece of machinery) would be itemized,” said Childs. “If you had a combine, grain auger and tractor, you would try to come up with a value for the particular condition that asset is in.” Identification specific to the piece of equipment is helpful, such as a Vehicle Identification Number or serial number. If cattle are insured they’ll also need individual identification, like a tag number, tattoo number or brand number. A homeowner’s policy will cover liability up to a certain amount if an animal gets out and is hit by a car; you can also take out coverage on high value animals, like a bull or a show animal. Michelle Schaffner, underwriting manager for Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, said in addition to the values of the buildings, the agent will want to know its dimensions, uses and type of construction. “And maybe how old the roofs are,” she told OFN. “It would be very helpful if they had some kind of idea of either the purchase price or, more specifically, what it would cost to replace that building if it were destroyed somehow. Some insurance companies will have tables and tools to help them determine that, and that’s why it would be good for them to know the square footage and the type of material in construction of the building, because that’s what those tools would ask for.” The location of the building is factored into the insurance rating. Schaffner said what’s most important is how close the buildings are to the local fire station. In addition to fire, the policy will cover such perils as windstorms, hail and lightning. Some insurance companies track weather patterns and historical storm activity, and consideration of previous storms and the paths of storms may be involved in the ratings. MAY 25, 2015

farm help

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By Gary Digiuseppe

Research shows that less stress on cattle improves profitability Research proves placing less stress on cattle means money in your pocket. Dr. Tom Troxel, assistant director of the animal science at the University of Arkansas, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor a number of studies show that handling cattle calmly and quietly is extremely important to subsequent animal performance. That means “getting cattle used to a handling facility, doing some of the simple things so cattle move easily through a handling facility so you can work them properly and vaccinate them according to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines,” he said. “Also, if you’re involved with an estrus synchronization AI program, research has shown that any kind of stress during the time of artificial insemination breeding can reduce conception rates.” Troxel said there are three points of emphasis in a handling facility where stress can be avoided. The first is getting cattle gathered from a pasture to a smaller pen or crowding area. Cattle can balk and turn back at that point, and it’s important to condition them so they’ll move smoothly to the sorting area. Second is preparing to move them single file down a crowding alley and into the chute. He said, “A lot of times in modern facilities, they’ll put cattle into a tub and work into a circular motion, into a crowding alley going into a head gate. One of the biggest mistakes that I’ll see people make is getting too many cattle in the tub. When that happens, the cattle cannot turn around; they get crowded and forced in there, so they cannot move freely and move properly through the tub.” Finally, cattle will also sometimes balk as they circle towards the head gate. Troxel cautioned against leaving items like coats hanging in that area to block the animals’ vision, or that can distract them with shadows or reflections. The alley should provide good footing so the cattle won’t slip and fall, and excess MAY 25, 2015

noise should be discouraged; Troxel said, “Banging, clanging, whooping, hollering, or dogs barking will cause cattle to stop and hesitate, looking to see what it is before they enter the chute or head gate.” Bob Schultheis, natural resource engineering specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Center at Webster County, Mo., offered tips for constructing cattle handling facilities to reduce stress. Among the design features should be a 1 to 3 percent slope or grade to drain water away and prevent mud; durable, low maintenance fencing; a system that will funnel animals to a single file, closed-loop sorting, and allows for managing gate swing directions; and driveways designed to handle the largest trucks or trailers expected to be used. A safe and efficient access system should be installed for the veterinarian, which “makes them more willing to come back,” Schultheis said. Schultheis also suggests ranchers should learn how cattle think. “They have a tendency to circle, in order to see other herd members and to see what is behind them,” he said. “So use curves in the chute to keep them moving.” Cattle remember painful experiences, so the A.I. and squeeze chute should not be the same. Schultheis said the working alley should be no more than 28 to 30 inches wide to prevent the cattle from turning, and the holding pen should allow for 20 square feet per head to hold all or part of the herd. The alleys leading to the sorting pens should be 10 to 12 feet wide, and the lead-up alley and working chute should have curved sidewalls a minimum of 5 feet high with sloping/adjustable sides to match animal size, and should be at least 20 feet long to hold three or four head. The posts should be anchored at least 36 to 42 inches deep in the ground. Also, on ground that has a slope, the alley should run down the slope to the headgate.

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calendar

May 2015 26-29, 6/5-6/6 2015 4-H Sponsored Rabies Vaccination Clinic – call Franklin County Extension Center, Ozark, Ark., for more info – 479-667-3720 29 Phosphorus Removal Structure: Field Day – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Watershed Learning Center, 221 S. Main St., Cave Spring, Ark. – 479-215-6623 30 Food Preservation Workshop – 1-3 p.m. – $10 fee – Ozark, Ark. – pre-registration required – 479-667-3720 June 2015 2-4 4-H Rabies Clinic – call 479-963-2360 for more info 4 Food Preservation Workshop – 6-8 p.m. – $10 fee – Ozark, Ark. – pre-registration required – 479-667-3720 6 Spring Demolition Derby – gates open at 6 p.m., event begins at 7:30 p.m. – Springdale, Ark. – 479-756-0464 8 Gardening 101 – 7 p.m. – Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens, 400 S. Walton Blvd., Bentonville, Ark. – 479-271-1060 or 479-254-3870 8 Preserving Summer’s Bounty – 7 p.m. – Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens, Bentonville, Ark. – 479-271-1060 9 Conservation Day – ages 5-16, registration starts at 9:30 a.m. – Fred Berry Conservation Center, Yellville, Ark. – 870-449-6349 10 Pesticide Applicator Training – 1 p.m. – Carroll Electric, Huntsville, Ark. – 479-738-6826 10-12 Better Process Control School – Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla. – 479-575-4450 12 2015 Arkansas 4-H Dairy Camp – registration is $25 per participant – Benton County Fairgrounds, Bentonville, Ark. – 479-271-1060 12-13 Berryville Ice Cream Social – At the Square, Berryville, Ark. – 870-423-2958 13 4-H Benefit Concert – 6:30 p.m. – Lead Band: Lance Carpenter and the Union – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Mulberry, Ark. – 479-474-5286 13-7/18 Statewide Saturday Master Gardener Training – 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. – Grace United Methodist Church, 1075 Hogan Lane, Conway, Ark. – deadline for apply, May 11 – 501-329-8344 13 Food Preservation Workshop – 1-3 p.m. – $10 fee – Ozark, Ark. – pre-registration required – 479-667-3720 16 Delta District 4-H Horse Show – White County Fairgrounds, Searcy, Ark. – 501-268-5394 20 Western Days BBQ – Springdale, Ark. – 479-756-0464 26-27 Master Gardeners Plant Sale – Paris, Ark – 479-963-2360 30 Garden Food Showdown – 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. – $5 registration fee, due June 20 – Cherokee County Community Building, Tahlequah, Okla. – 918-456-6163 July 2015 1-4 Annual Rodeo of the Ozarks – 7:30 p.m. – Springdale, Ark. – 479-756-0464 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Croquet Class – registration required, $20 fee – Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 7 Goat Showmanship Day Camp – focus on does and wethers – registration is $10, due no later than June 23 – Tahlequah, Okla. – 918-456-6163 16 Peach Field Day – Clarksville, Ark. – 501-671-2126

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MAY 25, 2015

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