Ofn dummy 6 6 16 by Eric Tietze

A Family Affair JUNE 6, 2016 • 28 PAGES

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 6 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

The Craig family farm features diversification

JUNE 6, 2016

Shepherd’s Cross Working sheep operation offers more than lambs and wool

Sheep & Goat Issu e

Growing the Future

Program provides agriculture opportunities to students, their families

Defeating the barberpole worm An infestation can lead to anemia, death in sheep and goats

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

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Grant winners announced: The Arkansas Agriculture Department and Farm Credit have announced the recipients of the new Arkansas Farmers Market Promotion Program. Grant funds were made available by Farm Credit, and established as a program by both agencies to help farmers market organizations throughout the state fund promotional items designed to build awareness of farmers market locations and offerings. Markets in the Arkansas Ozarks that receive funding include: Bentonville Farmers Market (Benton County); Fort Smith Farmers Market (Sebastian County); Gunn Barn Farmers Market (Cleburne County); Harrison Farmers Market (Newton County); Pope County Farmers Market (Pope County); Rogers Farmers Market (Benton County); Rural Mountain Producers Exchange (Washington County); Searcy County Farmers Market (Searcy County); Siloam Springs Farmers Market (Benton County); Springdale Farmers Market (Washington County); The Dirty Farmers Community Market (Van Buren County) and White Street Saturday Market (Carroll County). Robertson named interim dean: Lona Robertson, associate dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, has been named interim dean of the college by Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ashok Saxena and Vice President of the U of A System Division of Agriculture Mark Cochran. Robertson, who has served as associate dean since February 2011, began her appointment on June 1. Mike Vayda, dean of the Bumpers College and associate vice president for academic programs in the U of A System Division of Agriculture since 2010, has been named provost at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. NEO student competes at international show: Cole Enloe, of the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Equestrian Team, recently travelled to the 2016 International Horse Show Association National Equestrian Competition in Lexington, Ky. Enloe showed in the individual beginner class and placed 11th in the nation. Enloe qualified for the national competition after placing fourth in the Western Semi Final Competition in Galva, Ill. In preparation for the event, he practiced by riding several horses each day. In the event, Enloe drew a random horse provided by the host and had to demonstrate his ability to control the unfamiliar horse.

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

The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper

JUNE 6, 2016

VOL. 10, NO. 6

JUST A THOUGHT 3 Jerry Crownover –

Remembering a mentor

7 8 10 16

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

4 5

Jody Harris – Goat rules Julie Turner-Crawford – A new calling

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 Shepherd’s Cross offers much more than sheep

Learning how the river flows with IRWP

Eye on Ag Business features Farm Credit of Western Arkansas

Town & Country spotlights Lisa Rader

Program provides agriculture opportunities to students, their families

Youth in Ag features Billy Evans

The Craig family features diversification in their operation

FARM HELP 19 The Udder Side

with Dr. Tim O’Neill

20 22

Defeating the barberpole worm When is the right age to introduce females into a breeding program?

Fulfilling the nutritional needs of sheep and goats

Co-pasturing can save money

24 25

Assessing your risk

JUNE 6, 2016

just a

thought

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Administrative Eric Tietze, Vice-President Operations Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Sandra Coffman, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Kathy Myers, Production Sales Circulation Stan Coffman, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production

e f i L elpmiS si

By Jerry Crownover

’ Mac s Keeping Your Herd

had the sad occasion, a few weeks ago, to attend the funeral visitationrfor theymost evoone nwof orC rreJ yB influential mentors of my life. I realize that few of my readers, outside of the county in which Jerry Crownover is he taught vocational agriculture for his ena farmer and former tire career, will know who I’m writing about – but I professor of Agriculture would wager (or at least, hope) that almost everyone Education at Missouri has a “Mr. Young” somewhere in their life. State University. He is a I was, once again, blessed with good fortune native of Baxter County, when the university assigned me to do my stuArkansas, and an dent teaching under this gentleman in the spring author and professional of 1974. Although I had never met the man, I speaker. To contact Jerry, most certainly knew his reputation as one of the go to ozarksfn.com and very best ag teachers in the Midwest. click on ‘Contact Us.’ He had trained dozens of championship judging teams and assisted scores more in exhibiting their champion dairy, beef, swine, and sheep at fairs all over the area. His FFA chapter had sent more students on to become American Farmers, State Farmers and State Officers than just about any other program in the state, and on top of all these accolades, he was considered an outstanding classroom teacher as well. That was quite the package to throw at a naïve 21-year old country boy from way back in the sticks. During Christmas break, my university professors instructed all the student teachers to visit the high school, to which they were assigned, and spend a day acquainting ourselves with the teacher, curriculum and facilities in advance of our assignment there the next spring. I showed up early that morning and introduced myself to the man who, in all reality, would be the one who decided I could have teaching as my profession – or not. As I looked around the classroom, I admired a half-dozen pictures of past recipients of the American Farmer Degree (most schools were tickled to have one). Under those, hung scores of pictures of State Farmer recipients with a couple of Star State Farmers — Continued on Page 6

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About the Cover Joyce Craig and her daughter, Jennifer CraigStidham, display some of their dairy goats, which are a part of their diversified family farming operation. Photo by Terry Ropp Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2016. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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Freshly Picked By Jody Harris

ew things in married life make me nervous. One is my husband asking for the checkbook. It means he wants to go to an auction. Over the years, my entrepreneur-husband has convinced me Jody Harris is a freelance to help raise a variety of livestock and poultry. communications specialist, Things start out seemingly interesting and fun, gardener, ranch wife and but after a couple of weeks my partner (husband) mother of four. She and and children lose interest and I find myself alone her family raise Angus beef endeavoring to keep animals alive. cattle and other critters on A couple years ago, my husband and a friend retheir northwest Arkansas searched meat goats. By research I mean, they calcuranch. She is a graduate lated facts and figures on the number of kids a doe could of Missouri State University. have in a year versus a cow. I was skeptical. Let me share To contact Jody, go to what I learned from this dark, comical experience. ozarksfn.com and click on The first foray into goat production was the two ‘Contact Us.’ of them picking up 10 goats from a farm. These went to his buddy’s home. He had a proper fence. Rule 1: If water can get through your fence, so can a goat. My husband began work on his own fences and within a week he and his friend were headed to a goat auction. He didn’t just ask for the checkbook, he also hooked up the stock trailer. He returned the next day with a menagerie of goats fit for a petting zoo. Some were meat goats and some were... I have no idea and neither did he. He unleashed the beasts into a field and they began to eat brush and breed. On Easter Sunday we found the goats in our front yard. They destroyed every green leaf on my blackberry bushes. I was steaming mad. Rule 2: Goats eat everything and anything, except what’s inside the fence. We found two kids a doe had abandoned in our yard when we herded them back into field. Our children were delighted. They fell instantly in love with them. We put them back in the field hoping the mother would get back over and nurse them. Rule 3: Meat goats can be TERRIBLE mothers. We experienced some worm problems and had to round up the goats to work them regularly. We had a few dead ones in the field. I was really starting to stress. The new babies were slaughtered by coyotes along with their mother. Our kindergarten daughter was devastated and wound up with the school counselor for therapy. Rule 4: Goat production is not for the faint of heart. My husband made plans to purchase 20 registered goats from a farm in Missouri. I went along to pick them up, desperately trying to talk him out of it. The best part of this transaction was a Great Pyrenees guard dog, Dutch. He was a huge beast with amazing protection skills. This led us to purchase two additional female Great Pyrenees puppies. The goal was to raise them alongside Dutch and he’d train them to guard the evergrowing herd of goats. Rule 5: Livestock guard dogs are essential to goat herd protection. Spring turned into a wet, hot summer. We were starting to lose goats on almost daily. In a few months we’d lost nearly half the herd. A neighbor found me crying in the barn one morning. My husband realized I was at a breaking point. Rule 6: Raising goats requires immense knowledge, skill, patience and hard work. When the trailer took the remaining goats to the sale barn I was relieved. We were able to find a good home for the three guard dogs. We worked hard and learned valuable life lessons. Rule 7: When raising livestock, stick to what you know, neighbor.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

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hen I came to work at Ozarks Farm & Neighbor a little over a year ago, I knew I had found my “dream job.” Julie Turner-Crawford I get to talk about livestock just is a native of Dallas about everyday, I get to talk to farmers just about evCounty, Mo., where she eryday, and I have the opportunity to be an advocate grew up on her family’s for agriculture with every stroke of the keyboard. farm. She is a graduate What farmer’s daughter wouldn’t love it? of Missouri State I recently, however, discovered a new calling – University. To contact an agriculture technical advisor for television and/ Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 or movies. Now, I don’t know if this is a real job or or by email at editor@ not, but I think Hollywood can use my help. ozarksfn.com. One recent evening at the Crawford Ranch, Bill and I were settled in and opted to watch a movie. It was a comedy, our favorite movie genre, and we had no idea that there would be any tie to agriculture, but there were a couple. Of course, a “rancher” in the movie was all decked out in his very best Roy Rogers outfit and said the word “shucks” several times, and there were a few “yee-haws,” all of which I’m sure were part of the comedic aspect of the movie – at least I hope so anyway. It was pretty comical to watch the “rancher” strut around like a proud little show pony while rambling on in a horrible fake accent, but as I said, it was a comedy. As the movie progressed, the “rancher” showed his city-dwelling kinfolk his pride and joy, calling it his “100 percent certified Angus” steer. Bill and I looked at each, shook our heads and let out a very boisterous, “No, it’s not!” The prized “Angus” steer looked more to me like a big ol’ Hereford-cross with its red body and white face, complete with a red ring around one eye and a huge set of horns. There might have been a little Longhorn in him with the look of those curves in his horns. The “rancher” gave the steer a chunk of meat from the table and sent him on his way. Yes, the steer ate meat. The agriculture misconceptions continued for a few scenes, but thankfully there weren’t many more. It isn’t the first time the studio executives have been wrong when it comes to livestock — Continued on Next Page

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just a thought Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page and agriculture. In the early 1990s, a movie hit the silver screen that was billed as a “Western comedy.” It had all kinds of issues, but perhaps the one that stuck out to me the most was the “birthing scene.” The one of the main charterers assisted a cow/heifer in the delivery of a steer calf. Please correct me if I am wrong, but don’t they have to be bulls first? Also, the calf, a pretty little Jersey with big brown eyes, was born to a little Hereford momma. I wonder if she was a recip? For a large portion of this nation’s population, unfortunately, movies are the closest they get to a cow or any other livestock. It’s just too bad they aren’t getting the right information.

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 thrown in for good measure. On the next wall were more champion contest plaques, trophies, and banners than I had ever seen in a single ag department. I was now, totally intimidated. When the last bell rang that day, the old gentleman invited me into is small office to get to know me. I nervously listed what I thought were my strengths and weaknesses. He soaked those comments in for an awkwardly long time before asking, “Why do you want to be an ag teacher?” I gave him a short but genuine answer that brought (at least, in my mind) the slightest hint of a smile to the lower, left corner of his mouth. Silently, he looked me over from head to toe (remember, it was 1973) before stating, “You will be getting a haircut and shaving that moustache before you arrive to teach?” I assured him that I would show up looking like a professional teacher. “Very good,” he answered. “I’ll see you here in six weeks.” When I showed up to begin student teaching, he warned me that we would be working with students every day and night while I was there – except for Thursday nights – that was his bowling night. He didn’t mislead me, for we pretty much lived at the school that spring and, at the

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Getting the right information out to the general public is something farmers and ranchers have struggled with for generations – and TV and movies aren’t giving an accurate depiction of our industry. So at this time, I am officially declaring my agricultural knowledge available to Hollywood. It might take the producers and directors a while to realize that they really do need me, so in the meantime, I plan on staying right here at Ozarks Farm & Neighbor – where the real stars shine in each and every issue.

end, I was convinced that I had learned more in that semester than I had in all my previous 15 1/2 years of schooling. A master teacher, Mr. Young had many effective teaching techniques, but my favorite was where he would play the fool by pretending he had forgotten some fact or procedure and ask the students if they could refresh his memory. They would roll their eyes and quickly come up with the correct information to show that they were smarter than the teacher. It’s a method that I used throughout my teaching career, even though it was less of a stretch in acting for me, because I usually had forgotten the information. In attendance at the visitation and funeral were scores of his former students. Since I live two counties away, I didn’t know a fraction of the hundreds of mourners, but even I recognized many successful farmers, auctioneers, attorneys, salesmen, business leaders, college professors, bankers, accountants, teachers and even the owner of the funeral home, that had all been his students at one time. Undoubtedly, he influenced their lives in a positive way as much as he had my own. In that, his legacy will continue for many generations and what more could any of us ask. Mr. Ireland M. Young 1921-2016. JUNE 6, 2016

meet your

neighbors

Shepherd’s Cross By Ellen Benson

Farm welcomes 40,000 visitors annually to learn more about sheep, agriculture The farm is Animal Welfare Approved, which means proA recent visit to Shepherd’s Cross by Ozarks Farm & Neighbor began with a prayer and end- ducers follow strict standards in relation to animal production and slaughter. ed with a blessing. Diane said the flock trusts the shepherd to guide, feed and In the “Big Pasture,” a simple wood cross stands on a knob of land reminding everyone in whose name the farm is operated protect it. As she talked of the flock, the used a shepherd’s staff to gently guide the sheep, and urged people to remember that – His will made manifest. In addition to its spiritual roots, Shepherd’s Cross is an op- was no purpose in cruelty toward animals. The sprawling pasture is planted to native grass with clover. erating farm, focusing in the production of high-quality wool Shepherd’s Cross offers an internship and residency program to and meat from purpose bred sheep. college students, which offers Peter and Dr. Diane Dickinson married just after graduation studies in five emphasis from college. With a degree in veterinary science, Diane moved Pictured: areas: sheep and other into a practice with small and large animals, but something was Dr. Diane Dickinson livestock, wool milling, lacking. Then the day came that she heard God tell her to tend museum, missions and to His flock. The couple began Shepherd’s Cross in the summer gardening. of 1993, and while there “I love the program are many facets of the because it keeps us operation, it continues on our toes and we to be family farm. learn from them just as Shepherd’s Cross, which much as they learn from consists of 120 acres, also us,” Dana explained. offers shepherding tours, A small herd of Red fiber and animal husDexter cattle is also part bandry classes, an ASI of the farm. approved sheep shearIn 2006, Diane and Peing school, and spinning, ter founded the non-profweaving and felting classit organization the Heart es. A museum at the farm of the Shepherd to procontains artifacts from novide agricultural training madic shepherds gathered for rural, impoverished from around the world. Shepherd’s Cross sheep communities. Diane has About 40,000 visihave been selectively taken her lessons in anitors travel to the farm bred for both meat and Photo by Ellen Benson mal husbandry, and wool annually, thanks to a wool production. processing and weaving partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Tourism. Close to 400 sheep call the farm home. Diane said sheep have to Russia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Malawi, Kenya and South Africa. been selectively bred to develop the Shepherd’s Cross flock. Diane has retrained her veterinary license over the years, but “We wanted a sheep that could live off the land and survive Oklahoma’s dramatic temperature changes,” Diane explained. her true calling has been fulfilled. “There is just such a great need to teach agriculture here in “We also wanted them to meet the needs of the American our nation and to help folks in impoverished areas,” she said. palate for meat purposes, and have a good quality wool.” “I have to just table my emotions and do Lamb meat sold by Shepherd’s Cross is Claremore, Okla. what really needs to be done to serve USDA inspected, and is promoted as grass people better, and to serve the animals. fed, pasture raised and free range. That’s the oath the take; to provide a serIn addition to raising lambs for meat, wool is also harvice to animals and care for them. This is vested from the sheep. Last year, about 1,000 pounds was what I am called to do and to take care of collected from 179 sheep. them in a little different way other than Inside the farm’s gift shop, skeins of colorfully died in private veterinary practice.” wool harvested from the farm’s sheep adorn the room. JUNE 6, 2016

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A Family Affair By Terry Ropp

John and Joyce Craig, along with their children, produce a variety of livestock Retirement means different things to different people. For John and Joyce Craig, retirement means leaving a high production chicken operation behind in favor of a menagerie of animals, including hobby chickens, alpacas, sheep, goats, cows, llamas, turkeys, geese and even pigeons. Dairy goats and sheep are a shared project with their daughter Jennifer CraigStidham, a practicing medical doctor, while a small commercial cattle herd is shared with their son Jeff, who also adds income to the farm with a wedding venue called Pecan Grove at Honey Hill.

United States and have a distinctive appearance because of tiny ears which makes them “look like little ETs,” according to Jennifer. LaManchas produce large volumes of milk with a comparatively high butterfat content. The Alpines, another high volume producing breed, are friendly,

The 180-acre Craig farm is just outside of Rudy, Ark. The goat herd consists of 20 does, seven bucks. Three breeds, Nigerian Dwarfs, LaManchas and Alpine, are found in the herd. The Nigerians breed yearround and produce high butterfat milk that is often used for making cheese, but LaMan- Rudy, Ark. chas were the starter breed for the Craig dairy herd. LaManchas are the only goat breed developed in the

curious and sometimes stubborn, as well as hardy and adaptable. Joyce describes them as the “thoroughbreds of goats” because of their regal appearance. Jennifer and Joyce are still trying to figure out whether the dairy should be year-round or seasonal because Joyce and John go on vacations and Jennifer’s time is limited. The milk from the three breeds is mixed and sold as raw milk at the farm by word-of-mouth. Joyce makes feta

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Dairy goats, along with sheep, beef cattle and poultry are all part of the Craig family farming operation. Pictured, from left, are family matriarch Joyce Craig and her daughter, Jennifer Craig-Stidham.

Photo by Terry Ropp

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

meet your neighbors and chevre cheese and is considering given to the people who sheared them. expanding her line with mozzarella next. “The breed produces a kinky, thin and Not surprisingly, Jennifer is in charge soft tightly packed wool I will make into of herd health. She makes a custom mix felt this year,” Jennifer said. “Wool felt with 8 percent fat and 16 percent pro- sells for $60 per yard in contrast to polytein to maintain herd milk production ester felt at 50 cents per yard.” and animal weight. Jennifer is looking forward to learnA natural additive lessens parasite is- ing how to spin and make material. The sues, which are checked by observation breed was developed at Montana Uniof the color of goat eyelids. If the eyelids versity; and while it needs little wormbecome pale, a commercial wormer is ing in the North, the wetter Southern used. The animals are vaccinated once a climate requires regular worming. year to promote general health without The Craig commercial cattle herd startover medicating. Any issues that arise, ed 33 years ago with 15 Brahman females therefore, are treated individually. bred by Angus bulls, and a Limousin bull “When we were kids, Dad supported here and there. The herd currently conour show sheep habit,” Jennifer recalled. sists of 15 Angus-influenced mommas, “I now am using some of the goats for my with bull selection according to EPDs. sons, Thane (13) and Liam (11).” “We and our customers like less marThose goats intended for showing are bling, so we are selecting for that trait,” milked twice a day to keep the udders Joyce explained. fuller and more even The cows are fed grass appearance, a focus for and hay with supplethe judges, while the mentary minerals, the rest of the goats are beones in winter coming ing milked once a day in the form of molasses without concern. tubs without protein. The sheep herd conJoyce still loves her sists of 40 white Dorper chickens and has 30 and Columbia show Sex Linked and Silsheep on 5 acres. Dorver Lace Wyandotte per’s are a fast-growing hens, selling the eggs – Jennifer meat sheep that can to neighbors. Craig-Stidham be raised strictly on “I like pretty chickgrass. Jennifer, however, ens, but truth be told, grains those that will show with the same I like everything God has made,” Joyce feed used for the goats. said, although even a pretty chicken will Jennifer’s children show at Crawford be culled if it’s temperamental. County Fair, as well at Fort Smith, Little Joyce also has three varieties or colRock, Memphis, and even Louisville, ors of turkeys, since turkeys don’t come Ky., last year. in breeds: Slate, Blacks and Beltsville The trip to Louisville was for experi- Whites with nine hens and five toms ence and to look at bloodlines. that are more pets than livestock. She “Sheep breeders are just getting started also sells turkey eggs, which are seasonal. on EPDs so going and seeing the bloodChickens and turkeys are kept separate lines makes sense with certain farms to prevent chickens from transferring illhaving superior lines,” Jennifer said. nesses to the young turkeys who cannot As with the goat milk, word-of-mouth tolerate medicated feed. In addition, she sells the meat at the farm. is down to nine geese and two goslings Two years ago, Jennifer added the Co- which fell victim to bobcats, though lumbia sheep, a larger breed, because she she is rebuilding her flock. Her last bird wanted an additional breed for her chil- hobby is Frilledback pigeons with wavy dren to show, as well as to the opportu- feathers that look like they’ve been nity to move into fiber production. The crimped with a curling iron. She only Columbia sheep are sheared twice a year sells these to others interested in raising and in the past all of the wool has been the beautiful birds if she has a surplus.

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

ozarks

roots

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home

rning a e L By Pam and Terry Lamb

How t

The IRWP works to educate the community about water quality “Here at the Learning Center we want to tell the story of the Illinois River Watershed. Where the river begins, where it flows and then all of what is happening on the land as well,” Dr. Delia Haak, executive director of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) said.

The IRWP was established in 2005 to bring funding agencies and organizations together with local landowners and community stakeholders in an effort to improve and protect water quality. The IRWP is the lead partner for the project that covers almost half a million

River Flows

acres. The IRWP’s Watershed Learning Center and Watershed Sanctuary at Cave Springs, Ark., was established by the Illinois River Watershed Partnership as a resource for the public to learn about conservation, a place for education and recreation.

“We have lots of creeks and streams that feed into the Illinois River. We have lots of cities, urban areas in the headwaters and a lot of agricultural lands. The watershed sanctuary is 30 acres, including an underground spring from karst topography with cave structures, which is pretty common Photos by Pam and Terry Lamb

Dr. Delia Haak, executive director of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, works to bring landowners and organizations together to improve water quality.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

ozarks roots in this area,” Haak said, operates a large dairy farm with her husband in addition to her duties with the IRWP. “The spring coming out of the cave is one of the reasons this location in Cave Springs is a perfect example of how our watershed works. With the sanctuary property we are able to show people that visit here how a watershed works from an underground spring to a creek and stream to the lake and on downstream,” she said. ”We also have two endangered species that live in our cave.” Haak explained the Illinois River watershed starts just south of Fayetteville. “The outflow comes into a stream that joins Osage Creek coming out of Rogers, then joins Spring Creek coming out of Springdale flowing on down to the Illinois River and on to Tahlequah, Okla., where it comes out in Lake Tenkiller. The outflow flows to Gore, where it goes back into the Arkansas River flowing across the Arkansas River into the Mississippi River,” she said. The Illinois River watershed impacts parts of two states, a sovereign nation Cherokee Nation, parts of seven counties and over thirty cities. “It is a very complex watershed in terms of jurisdiction,” Haak said. “The Illinois River watershed is in parts of Benton, Washington and little piece of Crawford counties in Arkansas and Adair, Delaware, Sequoyah and Cherokee counties in Oklahoma.“ The IRWP’s Watershed Learning Center and Watershed Sanctuary is able to teach both urban and rural best management practices. “We have the raised agricultural beds and do a farmer’s market here so we can work with both producers and can give information to others who come and want to learn more,” Haak said. “We all have

JUNE 6, 2016

a responsibility. It’s not any one particular industry, citizen, city or anything. Everyone who lives in this watershed will always be connected,” Dr. Haak said. “We will have programs throughout the year. We will have dinners where landowners can come to learn more information,” she said. Three creeks are on the impaired streams list the Muddy Fork, Clear Creek and Sager Creek. “Two of those are urbanized. The Muddy Fork is more agricultural,” Haak said. “So really we are trying to help private property owners that want to implement these practices on those particular stream reaches that we know could really use the help.” IRWP’s education and outreach programs also involve a music program, after school program including art and nature camps for kids; an urban workshop for educators; a rain garden academy and annual conference. IRWP water quality monitoring projects have included a USGS Biological assessment project, a phosphorous removal structure project with Oklahoma State University, watershed-based management plan stakeholder meetings, world water monitoring day, make a difference day and creek cleanups. IRWP conservation and restoration projects have included a riparian project; rain garden projects; growing conservation and greenhouse project; NRCS EQIP education/demonstration workshops and low impact development and green infrastructure projects along the Razorback Greenway and Watershed Sanctuary in Arkansas. “The NRCS is such a great partner to help farmers be productive while being protective of the environment. The more farmers protect water quality, the healthier their fields, their animals and anything else that depends upon water,” Haak said.

Above, a raceway leads water from a cave, which feeds the lake at the water shed

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

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Story By Terry Ropp

Owner: Farm Credit, a member owned financial cooperative Location: Russellville, Ark. Vice president and branch manager: Jim Taylor History: This year Farm Credit celebrates 100 years of helping farmers with their financial needs. The Russellville, (Ark.) branch has been in operation since 1990. “I have been working for them for four years,” Jim Taylor, vice president and branch manager said. “Though I started elsewhere in consumer loans, working for Farm Credit has been a perfect marriage of my two passions: agriculture and helping people better manage their financial lives. I use my agricultural background daily sharing information and helping member-owners make informed financial decisions. With 100 years of lending experience, Farm Credit understands that market fluctuations are an economic reality and knows how to help people optimize their agricultural and rural lifestyle dreams.” Products and Services: Farm Credit serves rural America with a variety of loan options and revolving lines of credit. Loans range from small youth loans that help fund 4-H and FFA animal projects, to multi-million dollar loans for large operations, such as multiple chicken house construction. “Helping new hobby farmers who want to improve their children’s lives by involving them in farming experiences and values is one of my favorite things to do as a loan officer,” Jim said. “Unlike a lot of other lenders right now, we’ve got 20- and 30-year fixed-rate loans for land and construction. We’re also unique in that we can finance homes on any size acreage. Customers tell me all the time they like the fact that we roll home construction together with permanent mortgages in one, easy loan closing. That saves our members time and money. In addition, we offer two types of revolving lines of credit: operating funds and capital funds. In both cases, owner-members are preapproved for a line of credit that they use as needed. It’s important to highlight that we’re not a traditional lender. Our customers actually own the association and enjoy special benefits like sharing in the profits when we have a good year. In western Arkansas, our members have shared $93 million in Patronage Cash since 1997.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

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country

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Lisa Rader Story by Terry Ropp

Hometown: Oologah, Okla. Family: Husband: Chris Rader; sons: Jake (18), Jeffe (16) and Jasper (14) Town Life: “I am the lower elementary principal at Claremore-Sequoyah Schools and have enjoyed a wide variety of educational positions over the last two decades at area schools. I love working with students of any age and have done so throughout my educational career. My husband, Chris, has also had a varied, 20-plus year educational career and is currently a junior high teacher at Foyil Schools. We belong to the Oologah United Methodist Church and actively volunteer and serve.” Country Life: “Our property joins a larger 430-acre family farm south of Oologah, Okla. We have 24 head of commercial Limousin/Angus cattle. Some are cow calf pairs and some are young heifers. We are currently using two registered Limousin bulls and also a registered Angus bull for the different pastures of cattle owned by my younger brother, my parents and ourselves. In addition, we have 12 dairy cows and heifers, mainly Milking Shorthorns and Guernsey, whose calves are primarily raised for showing. In order to make milking unnecessary, we purchase additional baby beef calves so that each cow has two to three calves to nurse. Our three sons manage the feeding and nurse calves twice a day. We select dairy bulls for AI by traits and character of body style as well as quality milk production. The unusual combination and use of our two herds came about partly because I was raised on a four-generation dairy farm. When the boys wanted to begin their own show animal projects, we decided on dairy heifers because they are such loving and gentle cattle and to carry on my family heritage. The boys show the dairy cows and calves at various competitions at the local, state and multi-state levels. We have had several breed champions and reserve breed champions. The only real accommodation for our two herds is keeping the commercial beef herd separate from the dairy herd in order to prevent dairy/beef cross breeding.” Future: “Once the boys leave (home), we will continue raising cattle. Each of

the boys is interested in retaining their animals and beginning their own herds. Perhaps one day we will be lucky enough to have grandchildren who also show interest in agriculture and cattle. We are part of the family farm that we love and enjoy and plan to keep that as an essential part of our life. There is nothing like walking in the woods around our house to push the busy world away to when and where it belongs.” JUNE 6, 2016

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slaughter

market sales reports

bulls

(Week of 5/22/16 to 5/28/16) Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock Barry County Regional Stockyards Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction

82.00-103.00* 85.00-100.00 † Not Reported* Not Reported* 92.00-100.00 † 85.00-102.00 †

Springfield, Mo. • Springfield Livestock Marketing Center

81.50-88.50 † 81.00-102.50 † 88.00-101.00* 82.00-116.00 †

100

slaughter

120

140

cows

(Week of 5/22/16 to 5/28/16) Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy

58.00-81.00 †

Ash Flat Livestock

55.00-80.50 † Not Reported* 50.00-90.00 †

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

54.00-80.50* 63.00-81.00 † 56.00-75.00 † Not Reported* Not Reported*

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

55.00-79.50 † 55.00-80.00 † 50.00-77.50 † 51.00-86.50 † 55.00-83.00* 61.00-82.00 † 69.00-86.00 † 32.00-76.50 † 57.50-91.00 †

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

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

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

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

14 14

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 5/24/16

Ash Flat Livestock

590

417

Uneven

St-5 Higher

170.00-205.00 165.00-188.00 148.00-176.00 139.00-154.50 133.00-140.00

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

----148.00-165.00 135.00-153.00 125.00-142.00 -----

------------132.00 -----

152.50-185.00 138.00-166.00 136.00-172.00 128.00-141.00 -----

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

5/27/16

110

Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market

Barry Co. Regional Stockyards* -----

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 5/26/16

Cattlemen’s Livestock* 5/25/16

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 5/23/16

County Line Sale Ratcliff 5/25/16

-----

653

682

412

-----

Uneven

4-15 Lower

St-8 Lower

-----

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

193.00-199.00 164.00-183.00 150.00-166.00 152.00-153.00 -----

145.00-190.00 90.00-163.00 107.00-160.00 84.00-153.00 77.00-138.50

170.00-189.00 160.00-175.00 149.00-160.00 138.00-150.00 -----

----164.00-175.00 145.00-159.00 141.00 129.00

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

177.00-186.00 153.00-181.00 130.00-159.00 136.00-147.00 133.00

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

----145.00-170.00 137.00-157.00 127.00-146.00 120.00-137.00

--------137.50 125.00-133.00 -----

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

144.00-168.00 136.00-156.00 130.00-148.00 131.00-138.00 -----

127.00-162.00 116.00-158.00 90.00-153.00 95.00-141.00 109.00-137.50

155.00-173.00 145.00-160.00 135.00-146.00 125.00-141.00 125.00-130.00

----150.00 134.00-144.00 ---------

Decatur Livestock* ---------

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

goats 5/24/16

Che $1.3 and Flui flush of m area farm Cal Mex the proc is sl clos muc volu is pl mor Day rang mul and whe SPO PO Mid

prices

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale ----5/27/16

Ft. Smith Livestock 5/23/16

I-40 Livestock Ozark 5/26/16

Joplin Regiona Stockyard 5/23/16

-----

409

475

550

-----

St-8 Lower

2-15 Lower

Uneven

Weak-8 Low

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

185.00 165.00-187.00 152.00-172.00 154.00-154.50 -----

170.00-206.00 158.00-168.00 150.00-158.00 137.00-147.00 130.00-137.00

180.00-187.00 162.00-182.00 155.00-165.00 140.00-154.00 137.50-139.00

----169.00-186.0 151.00-177.0 145.00-172.0 141.00-150.0

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

185.00 156.00-175.00 149.00-158.00 131.00-146.00 118.00-132.00

----154.00-158.00 144.00-149.00 130.00-139.00 110.00-131.00

170.00-178.00 150.00-159.00 144.00-154.00 138.00-147.00 127.00-136.00

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

157.00-172.00 140.00-156.00 133.00-144.00 127.00-130.00 -----

158.00-177.00 149.00-162.00 140.00-147.00 127.00-131.00 125.00-129.00

160.00-172.00 148.00-163.00 140.00-160.00 130.00-140.50 123.00-134.00

162.00-178.0 147.00-155.0 136.00-145.0 143.00-146.0 132.00-140.5

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Nati

Receipts: 1124 Supply nearly doubled again from last month and demand was Very good with a standing room only crowd. Markets were mostly steady compared to last month with the exception of feeder and Slaughter lambs which fell mostly due to the large number on hand. The supply made up of 63 percent slaughter and feeder Lambs, 16 Percent ewes and rams, 10 percent kid goats, and 3 percent Does and Bucks. All prices are per hundred weight (CWT) unless noted otherwise. SHEEP: Feeder Lambs: Good 2-3 32-34 lbs 180.00-197.50. Utility 2-3 26-37 lbs 165.00-172.50. Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 41-59 lbs 185.00190.00; 60-76 lbs 163.00-174.00; 80-90 lbs 159.00-170.00; 108-110 lbs 160.00-168.00. Good 3-4 40-57 lbs 175.00184.00. Wooled Ewes: Cull 2-3 84-238 lbs 64.00-84.00. Slaughter Hair Ewes: Choice 1-2 76 lbs 170.00. Good 3-4 80-110 lbs 101.00-126.00; 150-160 lbs 80.00-95.00. Cull 4-5 63-205 lbs 71.00-91.00. Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 2-3 150-205 lbs 77.00-84.00. Feeder kids: Selection 1 31-38 lbs 260.00-280.00. Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 40-48 lbs 280.00-290.00; 6267 lbs 255.00-272.50. Selection 2 48-63 lbs 260.00-272.50. Slaughter Does: Selection 1 100-165 lbs 121.00-140.00. Selection 3 50-125 lbs 147.50-160.00. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 2 160-175 lbs 130.00-145.00.

stocker & feeder

130

127 5(3257('

Steers, Med. & Lg. 1

sheep &

5/12/16

Receipts: 263 At this month’s special dairy sale at the Producers Auction Yard, demand was good on a moderate supply. The supply consisted of 5 percent Springer Heifers, 16 percent Bred Heifers, 18 percent Open Heifers, 2 percent Fresh and Milking Cows, 5 percent Bred Cows and 17 percent baby 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 1400.00-1525.00, Approved Individual 1285.00, Medium Individual 1175.00, Crossbreds 1150.00-1175.00, Common Ind. 800.00, Ind. Jersey 825.00, Ind. Crossbred 900.00. Heifers Bred Four to Six Months: Supreme 1400.001535.00, Crossbreds 1400.00-1420.00, Approved 1240.001325.00, Ind. Crossbred 1300.00, Medium 975.00-1175.00, Ind. Crossbred 1025.00, Common Crossbreds 625.00700.00. Heifers Bred One to Three Months: Approved Crossbreds 1150.00-1260.00, Ind. Shorthorn 1000.00, Medium 800.00-950.00, Common Crossbreds 625.00-650.00. Open heifers: Approved 200-300 lbs Pkg 7 hd 420.00, Crossbreds 290.00-370.00, Ind. Jersey 430.00, 300-400 lbs Individual 475.00, Ind. Jersey 585.00, 400-500 lbs Individual 525.00, 500-600 lbs Pair 740.00, Individual Crossbred 700.00, 600-700 lbs Crossbreds 710.00-800.00, 920 lbs Individual 960.00, Medium 400-500 lbs Pair 400.00, 500-600 lbs Individual 465.00, Ind. Crossbred 590, 600-700 lbs Individual 675.00, 700-800 lbs Pair 650.00,

127 5(3257('

Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards

68.00-84.00* 62.00-87.00 †

127 5(3257('

5/24/16

Receipts: 446 The supply was light and included two small herd dispersals. The demand were good. There was 10 percent springer heifers, 16 percent bred heifers,32 percent open heifers, 05 percent fresh cows, 07 percent milking cows, 11 percent bred and springer cows, and 03 percent baby 160 calves. The balance was steers, bulls and slaughter cows. Prices reported are on a per head basis and for Holsteins unless noted otherwise. Springer Heifers bred seven to nine months: Supreme 1400.00-1625.00, crossbreds 1300.00-1375.00, Approved 1200.00-1375.00, Medium 1025.00-1170.00, Common 750.00-950.00. Heifers bred three to six months: Supreme 1300.001675.00, crossbreds 1350.00-1435.00, Approved 1150.001290.00, few Jerseys 1150.00-1225.00, crossbreds 1225.001275.00, Medium 1075.00-1135.00, ind crossbred 1190.00, Common 770.00-950.00. Heifers bred one to three months: Supreme ind Jersey 1350.00, Medium 1000.00-1100.00, crossbreds 1040.001080.00, Common 925.00- 930.00, crossbreds 695.00900.00. Open Heifers: Approved and Medium: 190-270 lbs 300.00-490.00, ind Jersey 450.00, 310-340 lbs 390.00540.00, 410-460 lbs 440.00- 610.00, crossbreds 540.00610.00, 510-590 lbs 600.00-785.00, ind Jersey 940.00, crossbreds 620.00-690.00, 624-693 lbs 700.00- 830.00, pkg 5 Jerseys at 601 lbs 1010.00, crossbreds 660.00-830.00, 710767 lbs 720.00- 995.00, Jerseys 610.00-790.00. Replacement Cows: Fresh Cows: Supreme 1400.001500.00, ind at 1850.00, ind Brown Swiss 1625.00,

91.00-111.00 †

Crossbreds 600.00-650.00, 850 lbs Pair 700.00. Fresh Milking Heifers and Cows: Scarce, Medium Individual 1000.00, Ind. Crossbred 1000.00. Bred and Springer Cows: Supreme Individual Crossbred 1400.00, Approved Individual 1325.00, Ind. Jersey 1150.00, Medium Crossbreds 1075.00-1100.00, Common 800.00-850.00, Crossbreds 750.00-775.00. Baby Calves: Holstein Heifers 280.00-310.00, Holstein Bulls Large 190.00-230.00, Small 165.00-175.00, Jersey Bulls 95.00-115.00, Crossbred Heifers Large 210.00260.00, Small 170.00-185.00, Crossbred Bulls Small 125.00-140.00, Beef Cross Heifers 210.00-280.00, Beef Cross Bulls Small 160.00-220.00.

dairy cattle

87.50-100.50 † 83.00-108.00 † 83.00-104.00* 89.00-104.00 †

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

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 122.00-126.50; wtd. avg. price 125.28. Heifers: 123.00-126.50; wtd. avg. price 124.88. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 195.00-205.00; wtd. avg. price 197.58. Heifers: 195.00-200.00; wtd. avg. price 197.42.

91.00 †

Approved 1100.00-1325.00, Medium 900.00-950.00, ind Jersey 810.00, few Ayrshires 970.00-985.00, Common 600.00-775.00. Milking Cows: Supreme 1300.00-1500.00, crossbreds 5/29/16 1350.00-1725.00, Approved ind 1175.00, Common few 800.00. Springer Cows: Supreme ind Jersey 1475.00, crossbreds 1300.00-1485.00, Approved 1000.00-1200.00. Bred Cows: Approved 1020.00-1220.00, ind Guernsey 1025.00, crossbreds 1150.00-1250.00, Medium 870.00950.00, crossbreds 880.00-925.00, Common few 825.00830.00, ind crossbred 800.00. Baby Calves: Holstein heifers ind 310.00, Holstein bulls 210.00-240.00, Jersey heifers ind 370.00, Jersey bulls ind 155.00, crossbred heifers Scarce, crossbred bulls 210.00270.00.

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

Not Reported* 81.00-103.50 †

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

beef

82.50-102.50 † None Reported †

JUNE 6, 2016

5808

again from last month and demand tanding room only crowd. Markets mpared to last month with the Slaughter lambs which fell mostly er on hand. The supply made up of nd feeder Lambs, 16 Percent ewes kid goats, and 3 percent Does and per hundred weight (CWT) unless

-3 32-34 lbs 180.00-197.50. Utility 72.50. ice and Prime 2-3 41-59 lbs 185.000-174.00; 80-90 lbs 159.00-170.00; .00. Good 3-4 40-57 lbs 175.00-

3 84-238 lbs 64.00-84.00. Choice 1-2 76 lbs 170.00. Good 3-4 00; 150-160 lbs 80.00-95.00. Cull 1.00. Good 2-3 150-205 lbs 77.00-84.00. 1 31-38 lbs 260.00-280.00. on 1 40-48 lbs 280.00-290.00; 62election 2 48-63 lbs 260.00-272.50. ion 1 100-165 lbs 121.00-140.00. 147.50-160.00. ction 2 160-175 lbs 130.00-145.00.

avg. grain prices Soybeans

Soft Wheat

Corn

Sorghum

20 16 12 8

4.76

10.79

10.82

4.75

4.76

4.10

0 Blyt

le hevil

Hele

4.05

Elain

eola

Mid-State Stockyards*

800.00-1500.00 † 900.00-1310.00 * 950.00-1500.00 †

165.85 154.21

2050

2550

usta

Aug

750

139.98 144.49 140.48 *

pairs

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. 5/27/16

* 171.71

151.61

150.81

147.41

900.00-1675.00 † 925.00-1425.00* 1375.00-1775.00 † 750.00-1300.00 † Not Reported* Not Reported *

149.75 165.73 166.09

150.81 132.04 148.38 *

159.15

142.24 141.08

159.61 147.39

900.00-1875.00 † 1300.00-1850.00 † 1000.00-1825.00 * 1000.00-1535.00 † 1675.00-2000.00 †

147.39

163.87

147.61 148.93

168.68

825.00-1050.00 †

161.31

174.24

1000.00-1550.00 †

150.60

163.44

1150.00-1600.00*

150.17

178.73

1250.00-1550.00 †

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 5/25/16

146.97

163.06

950.00-1500.00 † 1275.00-1625.00 †

1750

144.30

165.00 154.03

Not Reported*

Ozarks Regional West Plains 5/24/16

138.92

162.94

1250.00 †

1250

141.77 *

153.18

None Reported †

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Ash Flat Livestock

142.88 140.37

160.59

(Week of 5/22/16 to 5/28/16)

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

OKC West - El Reno, Okla. 5/25/16

162.14 155.86

145.53

2250

2750

I-40 Livestock Ozark 5/26/16 550

5808

408

789

9224

225

4447

737

2666

wer

Uneven

Weak-8 Lower

2-10 Lower

4-20 Lower

4-15 Lower

1-9 Lower

3-20 Lower

6-8 Lower

St-6 Higher

5/23/16

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 5/25/16

140.28 *

162.33

250

Joplin Regional Stockyards 5/23/16

154.76 135.50

156.60 167.79 154.77 153.00 **

141.90 147.39 134.45 140.85 **

152.15

Tulsa Livestock Auction 5/23/16

144.07 143.58

160.99

140.53

163.35 162.22

147.91 147.66

173.53

* 149.45

158.13

6.00 8.00 8.00 7.00 7.00

180.00-187.00 162.00-182.00 155.00-165.00 140.00-154.00 137.50-139.00

----169.00-186.00 151.00-177.00 145.00-172.00 141.00-150.00

174.00-202.00 162.00-179.00 155.00-169.00 138.00-154.00 -----

180.00-204.50 161.00-180.00 155.00-168.00 145.00-162.00 142.00

----160.00-183.00 150.00-171.00 140.00-153.00 133.50-149.50

180.00-208.00 160.00-170.00 144.00-158.00 130.00-136.00 -----

187.00-207.50 169.00-190.00 157.00-168.00 141.00-156.50 135.00-145.00

170.00-206.00 150.00-176.00 140.00-160.00 122.00-146.00 120.00-136.00

198.00-211.00 183.00-201.00 157.00-175.00 140.00-168.00 135.00-145.00

8.00 9.00 9.00 1.00

170.00-178.00 150.00-159.00 144.00-154.00 138.00-147.00 127.00-136.00

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

170.00-198.00 161.00-173.00 142.00-157.00 128.00-144.00 100.00-129.00

173.50-175.00 148.00-178.00 136.00-153.00 127.00-138.50 -----

----151.00-169.00 147.00-165.00 ---------

--------131.00-138.00 126.00 -----

170.00-185.00 154.00-168.00 135.00-154.00 131.00-138.00 -----

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

180.00-189.00 153.00-179.00 149.00-162.00 136.00-147.00 -----

7.00 2.00 7.00 1.00 9.00

160.00-172.00 148.00-163.00 140.00-160.00 130.00-140.50 123.00-134.00

162.00-178.00 147.00-155.00 136.00-145.00 143.00-146.00 132.00-140.50

161.00-174.00 144.00-166.00 133.00-149.50 118.00-138.00 110.00-131.00

154.00-163.00 140.00-160.00 136.00-147.00 130.00-134.00 125.00

170.00-173.00 159.00-160.00 147.00-155.00 133.00-145.00 129.00-138.80

150.00-164.00 140.00-149.00 133.00-147.00 126.00-129.00 -----

161.00-180.00 152.00-171.00 140.00-150.00 132.50-143.00 124.00-127.00

135.00-169.00 132.00-150.00 130.00-142.00 107.00-125.00 110.00-124.00

161.00-182.00 155.00-163.00 ----147.50 -----

142.51

152.00

141.76

158.60

137.07

150.95

Week of 5/22/16

ith ck

1125.00-1900.00 †

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

ices

165.09

69.00-87.00 † Prices reported per cwt

163.74 147.04 161.04 145.00

144.09 134.00 138.31

162.45

136.46 135.35

155.16 *

163.60

JUNE 6, 2016

140.46 137.27

154.10

145.60

160.43 130

Apr. 16 May 16

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

975.00-1375.00 †

cow/calf

Mar. 16

heifers 550-600 LBS.

155.27

825.00-1485.00 *

1550

Jan. 16 Feb. 16

170.10

775.00-1725.00 †

1050

Oct. 15 Nov. 15 Dec. 15

750.00-1550.00 †

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

4.07

Osc

July 15 Aug. 15 Sept. 15

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

900.00-1225.00 † 800.00-1475.00 †

Barry County Regional Stockyards Benton County Sale Cattlemen’s Livestock Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock

Week Ended 5/10/16

June 15

steers 550-600 LBS.

800.00-1375.00 * 900.00-1300.00 † † 73.00-115.00 Prices reported per cwt Not Reported* Not Reported*

Mid-State Stockyard North Arkansas Livestock

550

$140

Week of 5/1/16

5/24/16

700.00-1475.00 † Not Reported* 800.00-1585.00 †

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

Week of 5/8/16

goats

5/27/16

Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.4400 and 40# blocks at $1.3800. The weekly average for barrels is $1.4030(+.0475) and blocks, $1.3520(+.0510). Fluid Milk: Weather conditions and changing stages of the flush, across regions of the country, are prompting mixed levels of milk output. In the East, milk production is rising in some areas but declining in others. While at the peak of the flush, farm level milk is seeing strong output in the Central region. California and Arizona milk production is flat. Both New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest are hovering at the top of the peak. Utah and Idaho report steady supplies of milk for processing. Meanwhile, the forthcoming Memorial Day holiday is slowing the demand for fluid milk, as countrywide school closings for summer break push bottled milk demand that much lower. Processors are preparing for heavy surplus milk volumes that will be re-routed to their balancing plants. Cream is plentiful through the regions. Volumes are expected to move more actively into ice cream production after the Memorial Day holiday period. Eastern cream multiples for all Classes 50 range 1.02-1.22, Midwest multiples 1.02-1.12, and Western multiples range 1.02-1.24. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced a permanent change to their dry whey scale of Class 4b pricing formula, effective June 1, 2016. SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper Midwest - $2.2156-2.4823.

$175

77.00-140.00 † Prices reported per cwt

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy

Week of 5/15/16

National Dairy Market at a Glance

$210

Week of 5/22/16

ock Market

dairy sales

cows

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

Week of 5/1/16

eep &

replacement

550-600 lb. steers

$245

Week of 5/8/16

00, 850 lbs Pair 700.00. and Cows: Scarce, Medium Indiossbred 1000.00. ws: Supreme Individual Crossd Individual 1325.00, Ind. Jersey sbreds 1075.00-1100.00, Common eds 750.00-775.00. Heifers 280.00-310.00, Holstein 00, Small 165.00-175.00, Jersey ossbred Heifers Large 210.0085.00, Crossbred Bulls Small oss Heifers 210.00-280.00, Beef 0-220.00.

12 Month Avg. -

$280

Week of 5/15/16

es reports

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

200

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

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

120

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

180

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

15 15

meet your neighbors Photo by Terry Ropp

Growing the Future Story By Terry Ropp

EAST program teaches urban students about agriculture An important educational innovation began in Greenbrier, Ark., in Tim Stephenson’s at-risk classroom in 1996. Now Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania have adopted the program. EAST (Environmental and Spacial Technologies) develops a network among schools, businesses and communities. EAST teaches students how to solve real-world problems using technology as a base and then how to spread those solutions to their communities. Two beneficiaries of this innovative approach are agriculture and urban students. An example is evolving in J.O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, Daniella and Jeffrey Aguilar, pictured with their mother Marina, are among those who participated in the EAST program at Kelly Middle School at Springdale, Ark.

Ark., which is the second largest school district in Arkansas and has a record 13 East programs. Susan Tillery, the EAST teacher or, more appropriately facilitator, had an unused patio outside a back door in her classroom. Being raised on a nearby farm, she realized the space would make a perfect outdoor classroom, as well as a location for a container garden. She initiated a conversation process that included fellow teacher and master builder Mike Luttrell, as well as the businesses of Apple Seeds Inc., Specialized Real Estate Group and Modus Studio which is an architectural design firm. “People who don’t own land are usually left out of gardening, and many of our students are at risk for food. This project helps on both Springdale, Ark. counts,” Susan explained. “The EAST model empowers students to make a difference in their community and learn powerful, authentic lessons on the way.” The project has four phases that overlap, especially since the layout of the patio area has been

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

meet your neighbors changed since the program began. These phases overlap each other and are part of an ongoing process that will last for years. The first phase is designing and building plant containers, the garden and outdoor classroom. The second is beginning and maintaining the garden and developing instructional pamphlets and videos. The third phase is an outreach to fellow students through workshops for science classes while the last is presenting a “how-to” workshop for residents in local apartments. “You can give food and feed people for a day, but if you teach people to garden, you feed them for a lifetime,” Susan said. “Since one out of four people in Northwest Arkansas are food challenged, this approach is critical.” Sixteen Kelly EAST students are involved each year, with each student a member of a four-person team. Currently, one team writes grants and pamphlets while two teams plan and plant the garden using best practices with the last group exploring native plants and developing a rain catchment and usage system. Also in the works are four raised beds, which may include bench seating for the outdoor classroom on the interior side of each bed. “I really facilitate more than lead which means I sometimes allow students to make mistakes as part of their learning process though I am always mindful of the consequences of those mistakes and will intervene if a serious mistake is in danger of occurring,” Susan said. One example of the EAST networking process involves high school students participating in Youth Strategies at the Springdale Jones Center, a community philanthropic center. These students will maintain the gardens during the summer by harvesting, weighing and documenting the produce before distributing it to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. According to Susan’s research, 56 percent of the world lives in urban areas with that number constantly increasing. The first workshop occurred in April and was funded by a grant from the Blue and You Foundation. All attendees received two bright blue 5-gallon containers with holes drilled in the bottom, in addition to tools, a garden hose, two young plants as well as help filling the containers with rock and potting soil. When attendees JUNE 6, 2016

left, their completely prepared containers were ready for back porch care. Attendees were also informed that garden space was available for their use as part of a community outreach program called Manna Gardens from the Jones Center. Savanna Butterfield, who is in eighth grade said, “I was the first student who helped get this project started, and it’s amazing being here today and seeing

how far it’s come so quickly.” She then planted a young tomato plant. Hayden Boyd and Daniela Aguilar from the seedling and planting teams were also busy helping people. Possible future plans include a nearby roof garden, especially for herbs and vertical gardening to maximize space usage, perhaps using palettes to provide a very cost efficient and practical construction solution.

This practice can then be taught to food challenged apartment dwellers as well. “I am proud of both my students and faculty in leading us toward what 21st-century education ought to look like: a partnership made up of the community, businesses and students in which students work with powerful tools and use executive skills to solve real-world problems,” Kelly Middle School Principal Sara Ford said of the program.

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Story By Terry Ropp

Age: 18 Parents: Billy and Sage Evans Hometown: Gentry, Ark. FFA Chapter: Gentry FFA Advisor: David Nelson What is your favorite aspect of agriculture?

“I like taking care of animals better than crops because animals take care of themselves to a certain extent and crops don’t. On the other hand, crops don’t kick.”

Who is the most influential person in your life?

“My great-grandpa, Lowell O’Brian, fought in World War II and was the kind of man I want to be: loyal, respectful, kind, supportive and fun to be around. He passed before I started school and I still miss him. A treasured, but funny, family story is about him swatting my Aunt Shawn with a cane when she was a girl and they were shopping for grapes.”

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

“Right now I am raising a couple of steers. One will be butchered, and the other will be sold in order to buy two more. I feed them 16 percent protein pellets and water them in the evenings. During the day they graze. We buy them when they’re really young and bottle feed them and raise them for about a year and a half before we buy another pair.”

What are some of your agricultural memories?

“My favorite memories really center around FFA. I have done livestock judging for two years but this year had to work in the business management area because of knee surgery. I am also our chapter treasurer.”

What are your future plans?

“I plan on attending the (University of Arkansas) to study criminal justice with the intention of becoming a game warden, so I will also be taking conservation and wildlife science coursework as well.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

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ith the current rainfall we have had, our pastures have grown. This spring has also brought a lot of clover to our pastures. I Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, don’t think I have ever seen this owns Country Veterinary much clover, especially white clover. And along Service in Farmington, with this clover comes the problems it presents. Ark. To contact Tim go I have had a lot of clients with cattle on clover to ozarksfn.com and call and wonder what has bloated and killed their click on ‘Contact Us.’ livestock. Clover is a legume and being very sweet and tender cattle love it. So, they lay their heads down and mow it off at the ground level. In the rumen of the cow, it starts to ferment, like all feeds, but it will create gas. This gas is created to an extreme to where the cow cannot bleach it off as fast as it is being created. Thus, bloat. If the gas is not released the cow will die. This always reminds me of being a kid and my Dad watching the news and weather at 10 p.m. We were in western Kansas and pasturing wheat. If the weather man said we were to get a frost, Dad would load us up and we would head to the pasture to get the cattle off for the night. The frost on wheat would cause almost every animal to bloat and try to die. The only way at that time to prevent it was to get them off the pasture. Now due to my nutrition instructor at K-State, we have products like poloxalene, which will prevent bloat from wheat and clover. Normally, cattle need to just eat 1 to 2 ounces of this product daily to prevent bloat from legumes and wheat pasture. Another problem with clover is with horses. In the last week I have had three calls with horses down. The owner thinks they are colicking. Well at least it wasn’t colic, but the horses had eaten enough clover that they were foundering; clinically what is called laminitis. They’re feet hurt. When a horse founders and gets laminitis it actually is a shutdown of blood supply to the feet. This pain is analogous to us doing fingertip pushups while something is slowly, and I do mean slowly, ripping off our fingernails and toenails. Now think about the pain with that. This grass and clover just has too many carbohydrates in it for the horse to metabolize. Then we get a toxin released from the gut that shuts down blood supply to the feet. As a general rule of thumb, about the time you have to start mowing your grass, that’s the time you need to lock the horse up off the pasture. Because of the saying, “Eat like a Horse,” and they do. They just eat way too, much of this grass and cause themselves many problems. Our grass is just too potent for horses to be on this time of year. It means management and effort to manage them properly. The old adage to turn them out and let them be a pasture ornament, just doesn’t work with fescue and clover.

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Defeating the Barberpole Worm By Gary Digiuseppe

An infestation can lead to anemia, death in sheep and goats The sheep industry is using everything in the tool box to defeat Haemonchus contortus. Better known as the barberpole worm, H. contortus is the scourge of sheep producers. Adult worms attach to the lining of the abomasum or true stomach and feed on the blood, causing anemia and potentially death. Females can lay over 10,000 eggs a day; those are passed out in the animal’s feces, and the larvae climb up on grass blades to be re-consumed, continuing the cycle. The worm has gained varying degrees of resistance to anthelmintics. Dr. Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, state small ruminant specialist for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension in Jefferson City, Mo., said that’s from using dewormers too frequently, rotating them too frequently and underdosing. “That results in the increased selection of ‘superworms’ that are resistant to all drugs,” she told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “It’s genetically controlled and once established, it is set in the population.” The worm has developed higher resistance to some chemistries (Ivermectin, Albendazol, Fenbendezol) than to others (Levamisole, Moxidectin, Amprolium). Clifford-Rathert said it’s best to use common sense when managing for the parasite. Since dry grass forces the larvae to stay at the base of the plants, delay grazing until dew has lifted, and don’t distribute feed on the ground. The FAMACHA system is used to determine how severely an animal is infected; the redness or whiteness of the conjunctiva of the eye is measured against a chart to determine the extent of the anemia. It’s now been extended to a five-point system that also assesses the back for the body condition score, the tail for the soiling of breech or Dag score, the hair coat for roughness, and the jaw for the accumulation of fluid or “bottle jaw.” But Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas Extension livestock specialist at Pine Bluff, said producers are going to have to stop relying upon ineffective dewormers.

what do you say? What is an advantage of small ruminate production?

“This really bothers a lot of producers,” he told OFN. “Producers would like to have a clean animal, and they don’t want to have any parasites in the animal. But the animals live outside, so they’re going to be ingesting parasites on a regular basis. The question is really how many can they carry, and still not be adversely affected? We’re going to set a threshold where, above a certain limit, we’re going to have to treat, but below that we’re just going to tolerate that worm.” He called for an integrated pest management approach that includes keeping grass more than 3 inches tall, because the larvae won’t climb that high; grazing cows with the sheep, because cows are a terminal host for the barberpole worm and won’t excrete the eggs; and genetic selection. “If you find that you have to treat that animal multiple times, that’s an animal that should be culled,” Fernandez said. “About 20 percent of the animals in your flock or herd are producing 80 percent of the eggs that are being put out on the pasture, so eliminating that 20 percent is almost as good as deworming your entire flock or herd.” Control can also get an assist from high tannin feeds like sericea lespedeza or chicory, in combination with a slow-release copper oxide wire particle bolus (COWP) a couple of times a year. If all of that fails, Fernandez said, that’s when you would want to move to the chemical dewormer. “There’s still a place for using them,” he said, “but what we’re trying to do is reduce their use to the point where we lower the resistance of the worms to that chemical dewormer, so it will stay effective for as long as it possibly can.” Treated sheep should be released into the pasture with the rest of the flock. The idea is that the only worms left in that animal will be the ones resistant to that particular anthelmintic; their hatchling larvae will mate with the other worms in the field, some of which will still be susceptible to that chemistry, so the offspring will not be uniformly resistant. It’s just one more tool, and producers need them all because, Fernandez said, “if we can’t really get a good handle on them, it’s going to put the smaller producers in the country out of business.”

“Small production allows better control over cost because you can’t micromanage everything. In addition, micromanaging allows for maximized quality which may mean being able to get a higher price for what you produce.”

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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farm help

Too Young to Breed? By Gary Digiuseppe

Breeding younger ewes, goats can cause undue strain “We want twins,” Fernandez said. “That’s what we’re expecting out of our sheep Sheep and goats can be bred as young as 7 months of age – if and goats. If you have two animals to sell instead of just one, you’re going to make they’re properly managed. Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas Extension livestock specialist at Pine an awful lot more money. I don’t care if the one is significantly larger and gets a betBluff, said success may depend upon whether the females have attained 65 percent ter price; if you have two smaller ones, even if they get a discount, they’re still going to bring you more money at the end of the day.” of mature body size. Your ewes and does will live “If they’re smaller than seven to 10 years, and should that, you probably ought produce offspring every year. to hold off,” he told Ozarks “From an economic standFarm & Neighbor. point if a female is not assoMany producers don’t ciated with an offspring in like to breed animals that Instructions: Set date of kidding time (step 10) first to determine approximate dates of other management steps. some way, either one beside small and that young. For 1 Buck management her or one inside her, she’s one reason, there’s greater 2 Evaluate does’ Analyze 17 body condition costing you money and you potential for difficulty at market strategy can’t afford to keep her,” birth because you’ve got 3 Synchronize does 5 10 15 20 25 5 1 Fernandez said. “But up until an animal that’s trying to 0 5 31 2 4 Flush and 31 Analyze 16 20 15 2 deworm does 0 about 10 to 12 years of age, grow and develop a fetus at 5 1 replacement 25 10 strategy 5 depending on the breed and the same time, particularly how they’re managed.” during the last trimester. 5 Breed does Wean 15 Goat producers can get “About 80 percent of that (optional) R some help on their kidding fetal growth occurs during E TOB 6 End flushing schedules with an easythat last trimester, and there OC to-use wheel chart. The are two 7 to 8 pound fetusMeat Goat Management es,” Fernandez said. “That’s NOVEMBER Wheel was developed by a tremendous strain on the Vaccination 14 state Small Ruminant resources of that animal, and booster due Extension specialist Dr. it really makes it difficult for DE CE Charlotte Clifford-Raththose young animals to grow.” MB ER Feed 13 ert, National Center for The solution is to put requirements Appropriate Technology them on a higher nutrition7 Remove bucks program specialists Linda al plane, because if they’re Vaccinate kids 12 Coffey and Margo Hale, only getting roughage, they regional Extension livecan’t consume enough for stock specialists Jim Humtheir needs; their abdomens Kid check; 11 monitor regularly phrey and Bruce Lane, and are already full of 25 to 30 Dr. Beth Walker of the pounds of fetuses, mem8 Vaccinate does (30 days before kidding) Agriculture Department at branes and fluids. START KIDDING 10 Missouri State University “There’s just not enough (based on 150-day gestation) 9 Prepare for kidding The wheel is a manageroom,” said Fernandez. “It’s ment calendar that helps you a small animal that weighs Additional meat goat information is available online at extension.missouri.edu/mp913. schedule tasks. You can rotate 120 to 160 pounds. So inContact the University of Missouri Extension to find out how you can get a Meat Goat Management Wheel. it to your ideal kidding date to stead, they need to have access to a high-energy, high-protein feed, which is going to be some sort of supple- learn the recommended dates for all the doe, buck and kid management tasks for the ment with a grain and protein source. That’s going to be very important for them if entire year; if you rotate it to the date breeding began, you’ll learn when the kids should start arriving, and move it again to the date the kids arrived in order to determine when you’re breeding them at 7 months, and it’s important to any of them anyway.” Other producers wait to breed sheep or goats until they’re 1 to 1 1/2 years old; that to give vaccinations, increase nutrition and perform other necessary tasks. The wheel, also contains general management information that can be adjusted way, they’ll lamb or kid as 2 year olds, and have gotten most of their growth done. In for individual operations and different management styles. addition, younger animals may not produce twins with the first pregnancy. BE

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JUNE 6, 2016

farm help

Fulfilling Nutritional Needs By Gary Digiuseppe

Proper minerals, vitamins are critical to sheep, goat production Sheep have special supplemental mineral needs – and nutrition companies are at the ready to help. The issue is not just a composition of the supplements, but how available the minerals are to be taken up by the animal. St. Joseph, Mo.,-based Biozyme, for instance, offers Vitaferm, which boasts “highly available sources of trace minerals and extra Vitamin E to support maximum reproduction and health.” The loose product, which can be fed free choice or blended into a grain product, lists 10 minerals and three vitamins; the company says it meets or exceeds the National Research Council requirements for sheep. Loose minerals are best, according to Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas Extension livestock specialist based in Pine Bluff. “A lot of people like the block because it’s convenient and easy to use; it doesn’t have too much of a problem with being rained on,” he told Ozarls Farm & Neighbor. “But they don’t get as much of the mineral, and often don’t get enough mineral, if it’s a block. If you think about it, it’s like licking a brick; after a while your tongue is going to get tired and you’re just going to stop, whereas with loose mineral they can get as much as they need, and there’s salt mixed in there to help keep them from overconsuming.” But sheep don’t need much copper, and that’s why it’s dangerous to feed a supplement to sheep that’s designed for other animals. The Biozyme product doesn’t even list copper as an ingredient. In a study, researchers at the University of Missouri Department of Food Animal Medicine and Surgery said it’s thought sheep are predisposed to chronic copper poisoning because they don’t eliminate the mineral very quickly in their bile or JUNE 6, 2016

urine, and because of the way proteins that take up zinc and copper are distributed in their livers. As a result, they say, there’s a “relatively small difference between the copper concentrations reported to be adequate for sheep rations, and those dietary copper concentrations considered to be potentially toxic.” Sometimes sheep can be provided a bolus made from copper oxide wire particles (COWP). ”It’s a slower release, and it’s not absorbed terribly well,” Fernandez said. “And it can also potentially help them a little bit with parasites....Goats, on the other hand, tend to need a little bit more copper, and the requirements for goats are not well worked out yet. There are new requirements that have been published by the National Research Council, but they’re based a lot on metabolics, body size and on other species, and not the kind of ‘feed them and we’ll see what happens if we don’t give them enough’type trial that we used to do with cattle.” Goats in Arkansas would likely need a copper supplement, because Arkansas forages tend to be deficient in that mineral. They’re also often short of selenium, which works with Vitamin E to repair cell damage in the body. But there are some areas of Arkansas where forages are high in both copper and selenium, and selenium can also be toxic at high doses, so Fernandez advised caution to avoid overfeeding. And, he added, trust the supplement formulators. “The thing about minerals is they often have interaction,” he said. “Magnesium and calcium interfere with each other; copper, iron, manganese and cobalt all interact. It’s very difficult for doctoral-level nutritionists to get right, so for you to try to do it is probably not your best bet. Your best bet there is to rely on the feed companies to put together a good, solid mix.”

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farm help

Co-pasturing Can Save Money, Time By Gary Digiuseppe

Sheep, goats and cattle prefer different forages Not only can cattle and sheep co-exist in a pasture, you can save money mingling the two. “There’s a study that shows you can graze two sheep for every cow, without altering your cow production,” Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas Extension livestock specialist at the Pine Bluff campus, said. “They’ll still produce the same way they normally would, but you’ll also have the two sheep as well that are producing for you.” Sheep, cattle and cows prefer different forages. Goats are browsers and prefer woody species of the sort that cattle producers try to eliminate from pastures. Fernandez said both sheep and goats also like broadleaves; while cattle ranchers spray them as weeds, “Actually they’re very high quality nutrition in many instances,” he said. “They’re very high in protein and energy, and even the cattle producers should consider leaving the weedy species and not going so much for a pure stand of grass.” Producers can’t turn the goats in on the browse species too long, because they take longer to recover. However, if they’re on a mixed forage pasture, they’ll only eat grass 20 percent of the time. “They can often keep the pastures in balance where no one species gets ahead of the other,” Fernandez said. “Many times if you’re grazing just cattle, you’re going to get the browse species taking over because they don’t touch the browse.” Rotation improves pasture utilization. Dr. Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, state Extension small ruminant specialist with Lincoln University Cooperative Extension & Research in Jefferson City, Mo., recommended allowing fast growing pastures to rest 10 to 14 days in the spring, and to keep the grazing height from falling below 3 to 6 inches. That’s important for parasite management, but it also ensures grasses can take maximum advantage of photosynthesis for full growth.

Fernandez also said rotational grazing will help to reduce unwanted invasive species. “The animals will be less selective in their grazing habits,” he explained. “They’re forced, basically, to eat what’s there before they move on to another pasture, so you can actually use it as a form of undesireable weed control.” And it can facilitate higher stocking rates; he said while animals will only use 30 to 35 percent of the forage on a single pasture, rotational grazing can push that up to 60-75 percent, and “you can double or nearly triple the amount of forage that you take off the pasture without harming it.” Producers can monitor whether animals are eating enough through their body conditions. You can’t determine that just by looking at them as you do cattle; goats lay their fat inside of their bodies rather than subcutaneously, as do hair sheep. Wool sheep, of course, effectively obscure their body condition. Fernandez recommended feeling the bones along the animal’s loin; if you feel a lot of dents, there’s not enough fat and muscle. “If they’re not getting enough pasture,” he said. “You’ve got too many animals on the pasture.” To ensure adequate grass growth, you can fertilize; the University of Arkansas offers a free soil test with a turnaround time of about two weeks. But, Fernandez cautioned, your problem may not be the nutrients but the pH. “In Arkansas, a lot of our pastures are very acidic,” he said. “Acid soils tend to bind the nutrients in the soil very tightly so that the plants don’t have them available, so lime is often what we need.” There’s one other essential nutritional component to keep close tabs on. “You want to make sure that your water source is clean and not muddy,” Fernandez said. “If they can loaf in it, they’re defecating and urinating in it; they can get mastitis that way,” as well as other diseases.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

farm help

B E IN G R E A D Y F O R

TOMORROW STARTS TODAY.

Assessing Your Risk By Gary Digiuseppe

Crop insurance can help make up for lost, short crops In the early days of crop insurance, it meant multi-peril insurance – reimbursing a farmer for losses due to hail, or drought, or flooding. And you can still get it, but most farmers don’t; they opt for some form of revenue insurance, which pays if a farmer’s gross returns from a crop decline, either due to weather disaster or a collapse in prices. “There are different programs,” Scott Gerlt, program leader for U.S. crop market and policy analysis with the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “Some guarantee revenue, some guarantee yield. If it’s a yield program and your fall yield falls below your guarantee level, you receive a payment. If it’s a revenue program and your revenue in the fall falls below your guarantee, you receive a payment.” The guarantee price is based on futures prices in Chicago, so a sharp marketer can get a bonus from revenue insurance. Producers also have a choice of coverage level, anywhere from 50 to 85 percent in 5 percent increments. The cost of the policy increases with the level of coverage. You can also insure anything from a single field to your entire enterprise. “Generally, the higher level you insure at, the bigger the discount because there’s a natural hedge built in there,” Gerlt said. “Your individual yield guarantee is based off of an historical average of your yield; the price is determined by the spring planting price of the futures market.” The 2014 Farm Bill introduced a new commodity support program, Agricultural Risk Coverage, that was designed to dovetail with revenue insurance, but Gerlt said they’re only partially complementary. “Generally, crop insurance traditionally covered yield risk; now, it’s more revenue, whereas most of your Farm Bill type programs tend to cover price risk. JUNE 6, 2016

So they’re covering slightly different things,” he explained. Arkansas has some of the lowest crop insurance enrollment in the nation, because the state’s most valuable crop is rice, and rice farmers expect to grow a full crop. The crop is grown in a flooded field, and drought losses are nonexistent. “Prevented planting insurance has been one that farmers have found useful and have used, but historically that’s probably the only part of the insurance that has ever been much of a benefit to a rice farmer,” Arkansas Farm Bureau Assistant Director for Commodity Activities and Market Information Brandy Carroll told OFN. It’s not for lack of trying. For the better part of a decade, rice growers have worked with USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) on developing policies they can use. The revenue plans are a start, last year it wasn’t available to rice producers because the price discovery mechanism failed; there was virtually no trading in rice futures during the price establishment period. This year, Carroll said, RMA has rectified the situation. One instrument developed specifically for rice growers is a downed crop rider. Rice farmers use a special head to harvest lodged plants but it’s slow and expensive, and some of the grains are still lost. The rider covers some of those expenses and losses. There is also a new margin policy, beginning this year; it’s available in virtually every U.S. rice producing county, and is also being offered on a very limited basis in a few other states on other crops. The margin policy is based on county yields and covers some of the input costs, Carroll said. It’s important to note that crop insurance premiums are subsidized by the federal government at an average of about 60 percent of the cost; that’s in part why the revenue plans are more popular than yield based plans.

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June 2016 7-8/20 2016 Farmers Market – Tuesdays & Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon – Antioch Baptist Church, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 9 Nutrient Applicant Training – 1 p.m. – Clifty Community Center, Clifty, Ark. – 479-738-6826 16 Youth Conservation Day – ages 5-16, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. – Fred Berry Conservation Educations Center, Yellville, Ark. – 870-449-6349 18 Illinois River Splash – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Siloam Springs Kayak Park – Siloam Springs, Ark. 18 8th Annual First Baptist Church South Car Show – 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., registration 8-11 a.m., awards presented at 2:30 p.m. – On Hwy. 16, 3 miles west of Hwy. 75, Beggs, Okla. – 918-482-3272 or meter@ms7.com 18 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21 Photography Workshop – ages 5-19 – Fred Berry Center, Yellville, Ark. – call for more information 870-449-6349 22,29 Food Preservation Workshop – Pope County Extension Office, Russellville, Ark. – 479-968-7098 24 Small Rumminant and Grooming and Showmanship Clinic – ages 5-19 – 1 p.m. – Marion County Fairgrounds, Yellville, Ark. – 870-449-6349 25 Paris Butterfly Festival – Paris, Ark. – 479-675-2787 or 479-963-2360 July 2016 7-8 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 9 Fishing Derby – children 18 and under – 9 a.m.-noon – Cherokee Nation Pond, Tahlequah, Okla. – Cost: $5, proceeds go to Children’s Hospital Foundation – 918-456-6163 14-15 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 16 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21-22 Safe Babysitter Class – St. Mary’s Hospital, Russellville, Ark. – contact Diana for more information – 479-968-2841 August 2016 1 Pope County Fair registration for animals due – Russellville, Ark. – contact Pope County Extension Office for more information – 479-968-7098 9 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m., Cost: $10 – Powell Feed and Fertilizer Store, Flippin, Ark. – 870-449-6349 13-20 Ottawa County Free Fair – Ottawa County Fairgrounds, Miami, Okla. – 918-542-1688 14-20 Madison County Fair – Madison County Fairgrounds, Huntsville, Ark. – 479-738-6826 15 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 16-20 Logan County Fair – Logan County Fairgrounds, Paris, Ark. – 479-963-2360 20 2016 Teaching Garden – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 20-9/24 2016 Farmers Market – Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon – Antioch Baptist Church, Conway, Ark. – 501-329-8344 21-28 Newton County Fair – Newton County Fairgrounds, Jasper, Ark. – 870-446-2240 22-27 Johnson County Fair – Johnson County Fairgrounds, Clarksville, Ark. – 479-754-2240 22-27 North Franklin County Fair – North Franklin County Fairgrounds, Ozark, Ark. – 479-667-3720 23-27 Sebastian County Fair – Fairgrounds, Greenwood, Ark. – 479-484-7737 or 479-996-4131

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory Angus

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

Balancers

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

Brangus

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

Charolais

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

Gelbvieh

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

Herefords

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

Sim Angus

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504

Simmental

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

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JUNE 6, 2016

Fertilizer

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Livestock - Cattle

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Machinery

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Wanted

Used Tractors

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do you love to write?

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

Round & Square Bales

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Used Hay Tools

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

OUR 65th YEAR

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6/6/16

Vets

NEW HOLLAND TN70, 2WD, Loader.......... $16,750 FORD 6610, w/Loader ........ ................................$15,000 NEW HOLLAND BR750 ROUND BALER, 4x6, twine ...................... $10,500 FORD 7700, Cab..$10,000 KIOTI LB1914, 4WD w/ Loader .......................$9,750 JOHN DEERE 1530, 2WD w/Loader ...................$7,750 FORD 340B, w/Loader........... ........................................$7,500 DUETZ 5506 ......... $3,500

Country Veterinary Service Tim E. O’Neill, DVM

479-267-2685

Farmington, AR countryveterinaryserviceinc.com

26 years of serving both farm and family.

MASSEY-FERGUSON 35 . ..................................$3,000

Wanted

MASSEY-FERGUSON 175 ..................................$2,500

WANT TO BUY MILK TANKS

Williams Tractor

2501 Shiloh Dr. • Fayetteville, Ark.

479-442-8284

www.williamstractor.com Hwy. 69 South Pryor, Oklahoma 918-825-2044 chuppimplement company.com

Cell:

CLAY OSBON REALTOR

6/6/16

920-397-6313

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor is looking for freelance writers in the following counties In Arkansas: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Marion, Newton, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Van Buren, Washington, White and Yell In Oklahoma: Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Le Flore, Mayes, Muskogee, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah and Wagoner

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

6/27/16

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THE TRUCK SPECIALISTS! We know what you want ... Big Selection + Low Prices!

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We stock the trailers farmers use most! Whether it’s a golf cart, a 4-wheeler trailer or one of the big boys, you’ll find it at Wood Motor Co. We’ll NEVER be undersold! Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

JUNE 6, 2016