Grazing news
The story of the newly married couple and their dream of continuing the family farming legacy is a tale of determination and resilience in the face of challenges.
The last two weeks have been an absolute flurry of activity here at River Oak. I have been involved more with the cows than usual with Carson tied up with chopping triticale and then mowing, raking, baling and hauling the following week.
A new rye cover crop will hit the market this fall that’s touted for its elite hybrid genetics that provide hardiness and fast germination.
Solar and wind farms have become a regular part of the rural landscape and a new report documents the impact the energy sources have on farmland.
Soil health and quality play a significant role in the nutritional value of pastures and cover crops, determining grazing strategies and sustainability.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency reminds agricultural producers that farm loan programs can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices.
More weather events are bringing more challenges here at River Oak. The corn is planted, but a few acres will be on the list for replanting due to standing water after frequent rain the last 10 days.
One thing about having livestock on your farm, you always have job security. By that I mean there is never an end of something needing to be done.
April was an extremely busy time, mostly because we welcomed a new granddaughter. Her name is Brynlee and she is doing well. We were lucky to spend more time in Georgia in April than Illinois.
Soil tells the story of what has happened in a field for decades.
The Noble Research Institute is focused on land stewardship for improved soil health for grazing animal production with lasting profitability.
We have some water standing on pastures and fields. I had almost given up seeing that this spring. Looks like some other events may follow. Ponds aren’t full, but have been improved.
It looks so far like spring has arrived early this year. Even if we get a last blast of winter, spring has a pretty good head start — so much so that I missed my best opportunity to frost seed some clover.
At the Illinois Lamb and Wool meeting a guy told me that he didn’t know about the wool loan deficiency payments program until he read about it in my article last year. He was able to get more than the 40 cents per pound minimum by having his wool graded.
Three ounces and a cloud of dust! That phrase came to mind as I finished up the “frost” seeding in very dry warm conditions.
I just saw a map of the affected drought areas of 2012 and right now and they looked awfully similar to the one for 2024.
March weather has come in like a lamb, so if the saying is true, it will turn into a lion at some point this month. It is still winter, but we are inching closer to spring.
From a window atop my grandfather’s old barn, you can see my family’s whole farm, from the hayfields to the chicken houses to the pasture where the mama cows are grazing.
I was just having so much fun with the minus-15 temperatures and 20 mph winds last month that I just forgot to write an article. Well, the last part is true. Things have been mundane around here — unroll hay, break ice and fill water tanks.
Having just returned from two weeks of R & R in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I can’t help but share a few thoughts I have about that time spent.
The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition opened registration for its inaugural statewide grazing conference.
Discussions and decisions made during the winter months can impact managing a beef cattle operation all year.
It appeared as though we were going to have a repeat of our luck with weather for our Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition Pasture Walk scheduled here at River Oak. We always seem to bring rain when we schedule.
Joel Gruver, a professor of soil science and sustainable agriculture at Western Illinois University in Macomb, will receive the 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award from Practical Farmers of Iowa.
Maybe you can’t tell the difference between 15 and 32 degrees after spending a few minutes outside, but your cattle can.
It’s been great so far this December to do chores without having to break the ice on the energy-free waterers we use here. Pretty much all fieldwork has been done by now around here.
‘Tis the season to give, so I gave the rams to the ewes. Now everybody’s happy. I should start lambing about mid-May. Hopefully we will have a lot of green vegetation to graze.
The months seem to pass so quickly, especially when I realize that it’s the first Friday and this writing is due again. I sure hope that what I write is worthwhile to you, the reader. In today’s information overload, everything is deemed to be “content.”
I am a firm believer in lifelong learning. It seems as though that takes a lot of time these days, as I sometimes struggle with the technology advances and everything being “apps.”
We finally got a frost that finished off our corn after wheat. I have been busy pumping manure and did not get involved with chopping that last field of corn, but Brett reported it had made 12 tons.
Picking up where I left off last month, the Lord has indeed blessed us with another great month. For the most part, things have been going very well. The weather has been good.
It’s been a beautiful dry fall, almost too dry. With all the talk about an El Niño weather system, I sure hope we get a lot of moisture this winter because we need to recharge the soil moisture. But you make your prediction. What do you think?
This morning suddenly feels like late fall. If they are going to get the beans cut, it needs to stop the misting and sprinkles — although we are already at the point where the beans are getting too dry.
Healthy soils produce healthy plants that feed healthy livestock. “If we’re going to rely on forages for our animals, we must have a healthy, nutrient-dense soil,” said Travis Meteer, commercial agriculture educator.
Soil is a dynamic system that contains physical, biological and chemical aspects. “A standard soil test doesn’t tell us how active the microbes are,” said David Kleinschmidt, owner of Progressive Agronomy Consulting Services.
Cattlemen are in control to obtain a perfect graze of pastures by their animals through stocking density and timing.
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.
Scott Halpin, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Illinois, announced that four additional counties are authorized for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres.
Our 2023 growing season continues to be a challenge, but perhaps everyone is successfully adapting, because I don’t hear as many pity parties as during some growing seasons.
Scott Halpin, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Illinois, announced that 89 counties are authorized for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres for fiscal year 2023.
Adams, Hancock, Pike, Randolph and Schuyler counties have been authorized for emergency grazing use on all eligible Conservation Reserve Program acres during the primary nesting season due to extreme drought conditions.
The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition released details of two upcoming regenerative grazing schools that the organization will host in September.
The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition, the new voice of regenerative grazing in Illinois, is moving forward rapidly with plans and developments.
An impending drought could result in inadequate forage yield for cattle in parts of Indiana. “Many have experienced drier than normal weather,” said Ron Lemenager, Purdue Extension beef specialist.
Hello from Graze-N-Grow. As usual, weather takes front page. Our forecasted rain events continue to be non-events.
I love visiting the great American West. Every time, I leave in awe of all I have seen. I am not a stranger to diverse landscapes coming from my home state of Georgia, with its mountains, forests and coastline.
I am excited to share an announcement regarding early fall grazing schools to be held in our state in September.
Officials sought to dispel worries they want to exclude oil drilling, livestock grazing and other activities from vast government-owned lands, as they faced pushback over a contentious proposal to put conservation on equal footing with industry.