Greetings from River Oak on a fine wintry morning. Glad we are promised a stretch of warmer spring like days following this cold front. All nine of our ponds are full and overflowing following recent rains. However, a look at the national drought map is concerning with a lot of brown and red in cattle country. As soils warm with predicted sun and heat, planters will start to go, as well.
The hope of a new growing season is upon us. Warmer temperatures and green grass give our souls renewed energy and create a sense of urgency that the upcoming planting season can only cause. I think decision-making is easier in the spring — planting has to get done in a timely fashion, manure has to get applied while fields are available, cows will have calves and the laws of nature are simple and spot on. If only the rest of life could be so simple.
Of all the craziness and terrible things that have went on this past year, there have been few bright spots. One of them has been the opportunity to have the boys here working on the farm almost full-time. The boys — my son, Wyatt, 16, and nephew, David, 17 — like most kids have been restricted to part-time in school or full-time remote learning.
What do you do when you can’t find the tool you need at a livestock show? Improvise and make do — but make sure the tool is in your trailer for the next show, right? That’s exactly what Katlyn Sanden, the founder of COWs Coffee, has done.
Choosing where to buy chickens can be intimidating, especially for first-timers. Eggs or chicks from a hatchery involved with the National Poultry Improvement Plan are a great place to start.
The Indiana Beef Evaluation Program has been busy preparing for its annual bull sale, which will take place at 2 p.m. April 17 at the Springville Feeder Auction, 4426 E Indiana 54, Springville.
Brian Duncan speaks for himself, but his words echo the members of Illinois Farm Bureau. “I’m hopeful,” he said.
One recent afternoon, three generations of the Andersen family climbed onto four-wheelers and a mini-pickup and motored into a field to check on this year’s calves.
The first U.S. Department of Agriculture Hogs and Pigs report of 2021 brought good news for U.S. pork producers.