Who am I, and what is my mission? That was the question Jonathan Fordham challenged audience members to answer by the end of his first-place Forage Spokesperson presentation during the American F
Over half a century ago, W.D. Young made the decision to diversify his southern Georgia farming operation to include row crops, cattle, and a tractor dealership. As many readers will agree, diversification
Are you feeding hay on the same pasture this winter as you have in the past? Winter hay feeding is a common activity around the country, and your livestock require sufficient energy to withstand the winter
The pasture mealybug — a small, fuzzy, white, invasive pest that feeds on multiple grass species — has been reported and confirmed for the first time on North American soil. Known for causin
Photo: Garland Dahlke, Iowa State UniversityGrazing cattle on snow-covered windrows may seem a bit obscure, but windrow grazing has shown to be an effective way to lower winter feeding costs. The p
When my son was in high school, we gave him our old high-mileage minivan to drive. On one particular evening, he arranged to meet his date in a grocery store parking lot and then leave from there to g
Virtual fencing is not a new concept, but its adoption by livestock producers is constantly growing and changing. There are essentially as many strategies for virtual fencing as there are farmers usin
Over the past several years, researchers conducted a study at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center-Clarksville dairy farm to investigate the effects of improved grazing management on pregnant
Integrating legume species into grass monoculture grazing systems provides farmers with greater flexibility to maintain production levels while reducing off-farm inputs, avoiding escalating nitrogen (N)
The reality of planning things is that things rarely go as planned. That’s not to say preparation isn’t valuable, though. If a plan can’t be followed to the letter, it can at least provide
In the Ozarks of southern Missouri where my wife, Judy, and I have been grazing cattle for the last 40 years, the predominant forage our cows consume is endophyte-infected Kentucky-31 tall fescue
According to Jim Gerrish, being a profitable livestock producer is less about livestock management and more about land management. More specifically, it’s about taking care of the land in a way that
For the most part, I like things looking good but not necessarily perfect. This mantra applies to my vehicle, my yard, my garage, my desk, and most other publicly viewed assets. Having driven by and w
Variable weather can be major offender in pastures and hayfields, even before it turns severe. But the incidence of severe weather is on the up across the country, and managing for these events is nec
With its deep taproots and ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, alfalfa has the potential to be an outlet for high-carbon materials like almond shell by-products
Don't go to the town diner for breakfast in the morning — it’s too far of a drive. I would imagine, though, that with beef prices as high as they are for calves, there would be plenty of ranchers
The cattle industry is inherently volatile and subject to the unpredictable forces of weather, market prices, and input costs. To navigate these uncertainties, beef producers must adopt resilient strategies
