From the Barns: Settling uncertainty

The Illinois Beef Association Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony on June 3 provided a good update on all beef in the state. I think it is easy to sum that up with: the prices for beef animals continues to amaze and there is thanks for that, but at the same time deep concern caused by input prices, disease threats, geopolitical uncertainty, the timing of herd expansion, the need to manage risk and the need for succession and estate planning.

It was, as always, a good day for catching up with old friends and making new ones. It was apparent that a good number of new and younger faces were present. IBA staff works well in several different ways and a new position will help with operations and hopefully strengthen a weakness that continues, that being vitality at the affiliate level around the state. The fact remains that cattlemen are busy people, but leadership seems to be filled somehow by very busy people. Congratulations to Shannon Welsh, the new president of IBA.

We did get the sorghum-sudangrass planted last month. The decision during planting was to place seed deeper than recommended, but it seemed necessary at the time, working in very dry soil. We did not know, of course, that we would receive a good 3-inch rain within a few days. Also, we were going against another recommendation, planting with a no-till drill into corn residue.

Nothing seemed ideal at the time. Then to add to a tedious start, a cold snap dropped nighttime temperatures into the 40s for several nights. All of that made for a very slow start, but things look not-perfect-but-good right now, as we receive another rain and some heat to push growth.

Carson made the decision to bring the custom calves in early, since our reed canary grass pastures were getting way ahead of our cow groups. So, four loads later, we had 245 head of 7-weights here and turned out since the lots still contained weaned calves that were not intended to leave for a few more days. I always, when bringing in new, trained them to the electric fences with flagging on the single wire. That always worked well and resulted in few problems with fencing.

Needless to say, the transition of the 245 was not that smooth, but the report this morning is that all is good. Meaning, the now three cow groups are doing well and well separated from each other and the stocker steers are where they are supposed to be and have stopped walking around and are grazing much better — all good news, after a week of some difficulties.

It remains to be seen whether we have calculated the availability of paddocks correctly enough to accommodate the 110 cows in three groups and the 245 steers, up to the time the sorghum-sudangrass is ready.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition has worked successfully through the tension of whether it would still have grant funds for summer and fall events, after the days of DOGE, the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Thanks to IGLC staff and folks at Natural Resources Conservation Service who are working to make funds available more quickly. National Grazing Lands Coalition has helped the process, as well. The coalition continues to need private funds to do all that producers need, to learn more about regenerative grazing best practices.

Please watch for announcements of events in many areas of the state. Check out our website, www.ilgrazinglands.org, and the brand-new resource site, https://grazingforage.com/.

Enjoy the warmth and joys of summer. Let persons you meet feel your own warmth and kindness. And, as always, stay safe and sane.