just a
thought
What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?
Life Is Simple
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Saturday, March 8, 2014 • Noon at the Farm - Billings, Mo. Lunch Provided Selling: 30 Bulls • 30 Females Featuring Herd Bull Prospects Cows/Calves/Heifers
e f i L elpmiS si
By Jerry Crownover
o you have a busy day planned, Mr. Crownover?” theyrlady revoasked nworC reJ yB at the desk, as I prepared to leave the doctor’s office. Jerry Crownover farms “I don’t know, yet,” I replied. in Lawrence County. He The lady looked confused while I explained is a former professor of that I was a cattleman and calving season had Agriculture Education at started. “I never know how busy the day will be Missouri State University, until the day and night are over.” It was obvious and is an author and that she wasn’t a farmer, because she was still professional speaker. just as confused. To contact Jerry, go to I had been the first patient that morning and ozarksfn.com and click I was hoping to be back at the farm to begin on ‘Contact Us.’ feeding and checking cows by 9:00 a.m. It had been one of those single-digit, frigid nights and I feared that there would be problems. My first stop was at the pasture where I keep all the expectant, first-calf heifers. The first one had calved two days earlier and I suspected that several more would soon follow. As soon as I entered the gate, my suspicions were validated, when I saw a new mother licking her new baby. As I drove toward the pair for closer inspection, something caught my eye as I passed the pond. There, on the frozen pond, was the two-day old calf lying on the ice with all four legs spraddled out. He was alive, but he wouldn’t be for long at those temperatures. Knowing the depth of the pond, I carefully walked on it to drag the calf to shore. His little belly had melted through the ice and he was soaked and shivering. I put him in the cab of the truck and turned both the heat and fan to high. His distraught mother circled the truck for the entire 40 minutes it took for the calf to dry and cease his trembling. I then unloaded him from the truck and reunited him with his concerned momma. As I unrolled a bale of hay before leaving that farm, I saw another heifer that was off by herself. I made “
Cattlemen’s Kind Production Sale
Breeders of Grand Champion Optimizer Salers Bull 2013 NWSS SSS Advertiser 368Y Don’t miss the one of a kind Production Sale featuring the Top Progeny from our respected Herd Sires: 3D Troubadour GGT P Bk Recruiter 7T • GGT P Bk Salvo 225X Sale carried DV Auction
Salyers & Sons Salers www.salyersandsonssalers.com Gary & Liz Salyers 401 Mooneyham Rd. • Billings, MO 65610 417-744-2025 • 417-353-4703 E-mail: lizcattle@gmail.com
PO Box 1319, Lebanon, MO 65536
Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960
417-532-1960 • Fax: 417-532-4721 E-mail: Member: editor@ozarksfn.com
Sandra Coffman President
Administrative Eric Tietze, Vice-President Operations Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Sandra Coffman, Accounting Advertising Kathy Myers, Display & Production Sales Melissa Fuller, Classified Sales Circulation Stan Coffman, Circulation Editorial Lynzee Glass, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Frank Farmer, Editorial Page Editor Emeritus Production Melissa Fuller, Production Contributors Jessica Bailey, Dr. Mike Bloss, DVM, Pete Bradshaw, Brenda Brinkley, Klaire Bruce, Gary Digiuseppe, Tera Dover, Myron Hartzell, Cheryl Kepes, Larry King, Garry McClure, Terry Ropp, Laura L. Valenti, Lois Krizan Waters, Bill Watson, Adam Wolfe
About the Cover Reggie Terry focuses on hay production and hay storage to provide high-quality forage for his cattle. Read more on page 15. Photo by Brenda Brinkley
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
“Your Livestock Equipment Headquarters” Headgates • Calf Tables Manual Chutes • Hydraulic Chutes • Tip Chutes • Working Tubs & Alley Ways
See Us at Booths #51-57 Feb. 21-23 at the Western Farm Show in Kansas City, Mo.
— Continued on Page 5
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www.zeitlow.com • Email: greg@zeitlow.com Serving More Than 34,000 Readers Across Southwest Missouri
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