A patented cooling pad technology for hogs will be available next spring. The pads are 2-by-4-foot aluminum tread plates on top of copper pipes that circulate water.

September already! Have you had your first pumpkin spice latte? I have not, but I did enjoy a pumpkin spice cream cheese muffin. I saw a funny advertisement for pumpkin spice oil change for your car.

I imagine some of you have started harvest by now. Not me, though, but that’s normal. Our double-crop beans are getting really thirsty since we’ve only had a third of an inch of rain in over six weeks.

Well, I’ve just returned from the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival and it was entertaining and very informative. On Friday was the Sheep 101 classes and Saturday was the Profit Workshop classes.

Here at River Oak we are nearly finished with the last rotation through our fescue and clover paddocks. We started the process the first week in August and will complete it by the time you read this.

We pressed hard and got all the rest of the cow herds through the chute and the calves all vaccinated for the first time before all our wranglers took off for school. Chopping corn is the top priority right now.

It seems like a short month since I penned my last column, but it has been a busy month for sure, with one guy doing this, one guy doing that and some other guys doing something else.

Cattlemen have a new product to control internal and external parasites in cattle. “Valcor is the first approved dual active endectocide available by prescription,” said Mark Alley, veterinarian with the Zoetis Beef Technical Services team.

The results of a checkoff-initiated smoothie program pilot showed increased consumption of milk and yogurt and will be offered to more schools this fall.