Mike Rankin Most major league baseball teams have what they like to term a utility player — a guy who can start at multiple positions or pinch hit for just about anyone in the lineup at any poi...
Having just returned from Oklahoma and Texas, I was reminded of the challenges that spring pasture management can pose. It’s really a good news-bad news situation.The good news: There is more than a...
When ordering pizza, I’m partial to mushrooms ... and only mushrooms.Don’t try to complicate the issue with the likes of pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, peppers, onions, or any other item on the ne...
It’s once again time to take a tour around the country to see what’s going on in the world of farm custom rate surveys. As I’ve mentioned previously, these documents were invaluable during my da...
There was a day when spring-seeded alfalfa and an oat (or other small grain) companion crop went hand in hand. Though maybe not to the extent of the rotary phone, companion crops are now much le...
There’s good weather and there’s bad weather. Then there’s also strange weather — events far outside of the normal but without clear human understanding of future ramifications.I’m not exact...
In many parts of the U.S., March marks the ideal frost-seeding time. Though not always a sure bet, frost seeding pastures has shown to be a time-proven practice for maintaining an effective level of l...
Landing in Milwaukee last Friday after a week in California at the World Ag Expo, I had the usual February expectation of frigid air and perhaps blowing snow. That’s the Upper Midwest norm.Instead...
Perhaps more than any other season, winter is a period for reflection. The USDA helps in this regard with their bevy of January production reports. I, like many people, have sometimes looked at...
