Gabe and Katie Farrar select animals and production methods to improve their family farm
Ways to stay ahead of weeds before it’s too late
Jody and Alisha Sharp launch Sharp Meats to offer customers farmraised, grass-finished beef and lamb
LaRose Dexter Ranch has scoured the country for the genetics they desire
Annual photo contest begins: The Missouri Department of Agriculture has launched the 14th annual Focus on Missouri Agriculture photo contest. The Focus on Missouri Agriculture photo contest is open to Missouri photographers of all ages. Participants may enter up to three photos in each of the five categories. The photo contest categories are: Beauty of the Farm, Faces of the Farmer, Around the Barnyard and Everyday Life. The 12 and under youth category, Kid’s Corner, is back again this year. Find a full description for each category at Agriculture.Mo.Gov focus. To submit photos, go to Agriculture.Mo.Gov focus and complete the online form.
Adkison named to position at Farm Bureau: Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) has announced the hiring of Janet Adkison as director of public affairs. A native of Houston, Mo., Adkison comes to MOFB after reporting for the national rural network RFD-TV based in Nashville, Tenn. She started with the network in 2013. Beginning in 2014, Adkison served as the network’s Washington, D.C., news bureau chief, covering the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House. She returned to Nashville to anchor the Market Day Report. Before she was a national broadcaster, Adkison was a farm broadcaster for KMZU radio in Carrollton, Mo., and the Brownfield Network in Jefferson City, Mo. She is a past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.
Baker Creek files suit: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. in Mansfield, Mo., has filed a suit federal court against a California company over alleged trademark infringement. Baker Creek started in 1998, and in court filings states it started using the “rareseeds” term that same year. The lawsuit says the company filed for the “rareseeds” trademark in 2020 and was granted it in 2021. Court documents state San Francisco-based Buy Rare Seeds Inc. is using the websites “buyrareseeds.com” and “buy-rareseeds.com” to directly compete with Baker Creek. Baker Creek says it has received angry calls from consumers expressing customer service issues, only to find out through investigation that the customers had actually been doing business with Buy Rare Seeds.
Producers selected to serve on committee: Several producers from the Ozarks have been selected to serve on a newly-created agriculture committee formed by U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo. Members tapped for the committee who hail from the Ozarks are: Brice Fischer (Bates County), Jamie Johansen (Laclede County), Jim Hertzog (Bates County), Jim Sherrell (Camden County), Marc Allison (Dade County), operates Allison Farms; Todd Hertzog (Bates County), Trent Drake (Polk County), Martin Bunton (Barton County), Robbie Lefevre (Vernon County), Sharon Arnold (Bates County)..
3 Jerry Crownover –Farm life can be dangerous
4 Julie Turner-Crawford –Reaching a certain age
7 Despite physical limitations, brothers stay active with their farms
8 Couple move to direct sales for more control of their animals
10 Company starts with a few packets of seeds and continues to grow
12 Eye on Agribusiness spotlights Kinder Feed & Farm Supply
13 The Farrars improve their soil and forages through diversification
15 Town & Country features Randy Golliher
22 Dexter farm seeks only the best
24 Youth in Agriculture highlights Lane Engelmeier
FARM HEALTH & INSURANCE
16 Don’t forget about oral health
17 The benefits of walking
20 Talk with your doctor about joint replacement
21 A “treat” that could have consequences
FARM HELP
26 An optimistic outlook
28 Fly and tick season
29 Getting weeds under control
OzarksFarm @OzarksFarm
Do you have a rumor you would like to share with our readers? Mail them to: PO Box 1319, Lebanon, MO 65536; fax them to: 417-532-4721;or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com
30 Year-round breeding or breeding seasons?
31 The right coverage
Farming is a dangerous occupation. Anyone who has seen me in the past three months has either noticed my pronounced limp or has seen my very attractive, hardsoled, open-toed, Velcro-fastened shoe. I tried to hide the injury from my wife for the first month, but the ever-observant nurse caught a glimpse of my barefoot one night and said, “What did you do?”
I didn’t know whether she was referring to the fact that the toe next to my big toe was three times its normal width or that the color had turned almost black, but my secret was out.
“Yeah, I think I broke it a couple of weeks ago.”
“Well, you need to go to the doctor tomorrow, or you’re going to lose the toe,” I called the first thing the next morning.
Jerry Crownover farms in Lawrence County. He is a former professor of Agriculture Education at Missouri State University, and is an author and professional speaker. Jerry’s daily exploits on the farm are now viewable on YouTube at “lifeissimple678”.
To contact Jerry, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
Even the doctor seemed shocked the next day as she examined my injury. Pressing around the injured area and hearing me mutter bad words, she was concerned that maybe my entire foot was broken, but the subsequent X-ray revealed that it was, in fact, just a broken toe. When she asked how it happened, I simply replied, “Farming is a dangerous occupation.”
Using that standard line when anyone asked, my friends at the coffee shop and feed store simply assumed I had been stepped on by a cow, fallen off the tractor, dropped a piece of equipment on my foot, or any of a thousand other ways that can break the bones of a farmer. There was no need to get graphic in the description of the accident. This past January, it was a really cold night, and, as is often the case, I was having great difficulty falling asleep. Having been afflicted with insomnia for many years, I
— Continued on Page 5
Ihave reached that “certain age.”
The purchase of a new vacuum cleaner was the highlight of my weekend a while back, and now I’m excited about the new attachment for my leaf blower, so I don’t have to climb a ladder to clean gutters.
I don’t like being away from home after dark, and I have to watch the early-morning local news every morning, or it throws my whole day off. I catch myself saying, “back in my day,” and I complain of old injuries or new aches and pains that flair up with cold weather or rain.
Yep, I have reached that “certain age,” and I don’t like it.
Late last summer, I thought reaching that “certain age” was why I was having some issues.
My vision had drastically deteriorated. I found myself driving differently because I really had to focus, and I realized I was cocking my head
— Continued on Next Page
• Vegetable oil, for the grill
• 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-to-2-inch pieces
• 1/4 C ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp steak sauce
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 8 10-inch skewers
Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Put the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until just tender, about 5 minutes. Toss the beef with the olive oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Thread the beef, potatoes and asparagus onto skewers. Combine ketchup, mustard, vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce and red pepper flakes in a small bow; sit aside. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes for medium rare. Serve with prepared sauce.
back all the time to look through my bifocals because it was clearer. It was getting harder and harder to read or work on the computer, two things I do for my job.
I finally broke down and got my eyes checked. Yep, my vision was much worse, which was no surprise because I had put off having my eyes checked for years — like six years.
In passing, the optometrist said I might want to consult with an eye surgeon “sometime,” but he did not express it was an emergency. Bill told me not to wait to get that appointment, and I knew he would hound me if I didn’t.
I saw the optometrist on a Friday and got a referral sent to an ophthalmologist the following Monday. By Wednesday, I got a call from the ophthalmologist’s office with an appointment for 10 a.m. the next day.
I tried to put the appointment off, but the lady on the phone said the doctor wanted me seen as soon as possible.
The following day was like a whirlwind. Ladies were putting things in my eyes to hold them open, telling me to look at flashing lights, putting in countless drops, asking me all these questions about shooting pain, and so on. When the doctor finally came in, he popped more things into my eyes, and said I needed surgery. He explained I have a form of glaucoma. The opening that regulates the fluid and pressure in my eyes was in danger of closing, and if that area closed off, I would have excruciating pain and be blind in 48 hours.
Continued from Page 3
have discovered that a bowl or two (sometimes three) of vanilla ice cream will chase away the mental circus and allow me to get a restful sleep. It was around 2 a.m. when I decided that ice cream was my only option; thus, I made my way to the kitchen. I was extremely disappointed to discover that there was no sleep inducer in the freezer of the refrigerator. Still, I knew there was an unopened half-gallon in the big freezer located in the garage.
That’s a lot to take in at once. Other than bad vision, I had no headaches, no pain in my eyes, or other symptoms to alert me a problem brewing. No one could believe I had no eye pain or headaches. I asked if we needed to schedule the procedure sooner rather than later.
“Oh, we’re going to do it in a few minutes,” the doctor said in a very frank tone.
After a couple of hours in the doctor’s office, I was on my way home. It took an additional procedure and couple more trips to get me in the clear, but it’s a condition I will be monitored for the rest of my life.
Today, I have new glasses, know the symptoms to watch for, and an appointment for this fall to get everything rechecked.
Get your eyes checked, folks. Don’t put it off, especially if you have high-blood pressure like I do. There could be more going on than you realize. What I chalked up to being that “certain age” could have meant certain blindness for me.
It’s never fun to go to the doctor, but putting things off can only make a minor condition worse. Most farmers and ranchers tend to brush off injuries, illness or other health concerns because they have other things to do. “I ain’t got time for this,” is a phrase I have said multiple times myself.
We always have other things to do, but tasks and chores should not come before your health.
That night, it was around zero degrees, but I was desperate: just not desperate enough to put on clothing, shoes or my glasses. I rationalized that I could hurriedly rush down the three concrete steps into the garage and retrieve the container of ice cream without getting too cold.
However, once my feet touched the frigid concrete floor, I knew I had to cut my return time by half.
Upon return, the concrete steps were closer than they appeared.
Farming is a dangerous occupation.
From the many kinds of hard work involved to the hard economic, farming is difficult. Farming from a wheelchair makes it even more difficult but don’t tell that to brothers, Paul and Robert Gifford.
Paul and his wife Sharon of rural Pulaski County outside Waynesville, and Robert and his son, Sam and his grandson, Evan of Texas County, near Licking, all raise Angus cattle, despite some physical limitations.
Paul and Sharon live on the Gifford family’s ancestral farm, now 320 acres.
“Grandma and Grandpa, Chester and Laura, known by all as Wilsie, moved here from Iowa and bought 80 acres in 1936. My mom and dad, Elmer and Velma Gifford, bought it from my grandmother in 1952. Robert and I grew up here and today, with 80 acres nearby that we rent from our daughter, Dr. Shawna Gifford of Rolla, and 130 that belongs to my brother, we can drive cows all the way to Highway 17,” Paul laughed.
Paul and Sharon have 100 cows, with 85 being spring calving, as well as 15 heifers.
In 2015, Paul was diagnosed with a tumor on his spinal cord at the base of his brain. The surgery to remove it did not go as well as all had hoped, and the result months in hospitals in St. Louis and Springfield.
He continues to improve, having progressed to the point he can walk a very short distance.
“I started out just walking a few steps and now I can walk from the bedroom and around the kitchen table, which I do several times a day. I can walk into church and that is a real blessing,” he added.
The Giffords are grateful for all the help they have re-
ceived from the Faith Baptist Church at Waynesville. From wheelchair ramps built at various doors into and around their house to youth and others who have come to chop firewood after storms dropped several trees on their property to deer hunters who have enjoyed their sport and then returned to build shelving, mix and grind cattle feed.
“Just all the prayers have been so appreciated,” Paul said.
Paul’s brother, Robert owns Agri-Enterprises, a farm equipment sales and repair business in Licking, along with his son, Sam and his grandson, Evan. Three years ago, while unloading square bales, Robert fell from a flatbed truck. He injured his spine in such a way that he was originally paralyzed from the chest down. With hard work and therapy, he has now regained much of the use of his arms.
In addition to the business, Robert is the pastor of Pioneer Baptist Church in Birch Tree, Mo., and formerly the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Licking. Before his injury, he was running 300 black cows, primarily Angus, on 400 acres. He has recently sold much of the acreage and cows and now has 40 cows on 150 acres.
“Still, I have to say, Paul has been my greatest encouragement,” Robert said. “He told me there are the ones who give up and the ones who don’t. We both give the credit to God who keeps us going. Paul told me, you have to be thankful for what you have and what you can do and keep focused on that, not on what you can’t do. He has stayed so positive and without a doubt, has helped me more than any other human being. He’s been such a trail blazer but I’m not far behind him.”
have come forward to help us and we are so thankful.”
Sharon drives a side-by-side UTV with a feeder on the back to drop feed in the field for their cows.
“I was doing it with buckets at first, but there was the fear that if I got hurt, we would really be in trouble so this was the next step,” she said.
Paul’s new goal is to improve enough to get back on his tractor.
“This kind of injury absolutely shuts off so many things,” Robert shared. “From fixing fence where the rough terrain makes it difficult to get around and maintaining equipment because it’s hard to get close enough in a wheelchair to reach where you need to. Paul has gotten a track wheelchair, which makes it easier to get around in the fields but even opening and shutting gates can be a problem because you can’t do it quick enough to keep the cows from getting out,” he chuckled.
AgrAbility, a program based at the University of Missouri in Columbia and Lincoln University of Jefferson City has been a great help to both brothers, directing them programs like Voc-Rehab that can help and make other resources available. That has included financial assistance including purchasing equipment like motorized wheelchairs and adapting other equipment or buildings to accommodate their specialized needs.
Sharon Gifford admitted she was nearly panicked as to what they would do about the farm and its tremendous load.
“Previously, Paul drove on occasion for MoDot during snowstorms, baled hay for others, drove a dump truck for a local concrete company or drove for a propane company for extra money, but our mainstay was the farm. So many
“There are so many things he could do when he is back on that tractor,” Sharon concluded.
“These motorized wheelchairs never work exactly the way they are supposed to and they are only good for about five years before they wear out,” Paul said with a laugh. “Once you get off a hard surface, you have to really be careful not to turn the whole thing over.”
The brothers are appreciative of the great support they have received from various family and community members. They continue to work on treatments and therapies to improve their condition and both follow Paul’s mantra, “you never give up.”
Both Paul and Robert Gifford added they would be more than willing to speak with anyone who needs help and encouragement in learning to farm from a wheelchair.
When Jody and Alisha Sharp got married, they started their cattle herd with 25 cows, and have continued to grow their operation.
“My ultimate goal was to take calves all the way through the feed yard,” Jody said. “We were finally able to do that for a couple of years and we went out to the feed yard twice to see them, and both times they were just laying in mud.”
Alisha added there was no explanation of the veterinary treatment or why some of their cattle died.
After the feed yard experience, the Sharps tried a feeding facility closer to home, but they still weren’t satisfied. They asked a field rep if they could keep their cattle at home in a pastured situation, but the suggestion was turned down.
“They said the fat in the meat will turn yellow, and the consumer won’t buy it,” Jody said. “I just got so frustrated. To have more control, I had to take them from point A to point B and not have anyone in between.”
That realization launched the creation of Sharp Meats, focusing on grass-finished beef and lamb. Offering farm-raised beef and lamb is nothing new to the Sharps, but they are now branching out into individual cuts and specialty items, such as beef sticks.
“We’ve sold to people Alisha works with, friends and families for years, but to afford for it to be bigger, we had to figure out another way,” Jody said. “If you want to buy meat from us, you can come out and see how it was raised, vaccinated and treated. To me, that’s the way society is moving. If you take a calf to the sale barn, you have no idea where it’s going.”
Sharp Meats is still in the fledgling stages, but the website is building interest.
“A lot of people we talk to say you have to be in it for two years for a lot of traction, and I think we are starting to see that traction and are moving forward,” Jody said. “You don’t know how much you’re going to sell or
how often you will need it, so you don’t want to have a whole bunch of meat you aren’t selling.”
Jody and Alisha continue to offer wholes and halves to beef customers and will also grain-finish an animal upon request.
The couple typically run about 250 to 300 pairs, but dropped to about 260 pairs in the wake of last year’s drought. All animals that go through the beef program are from their Angus/Gelbvieh herd.
Calves are weaned at 6 to 7 months of age and receive an on-the-farm produced alfalfa and triticale baleage. After about two weeks, calves go back to grass.
“Feed costs are getting crazy, so if you can manage it to where you don’t have to buy any, that’s just putting more money in your pocket.”
Grass-finished calves are processed at about 800 pounds.
“That’s the ideal weight we are going to shoot for, but we won’t be in a hurry to get rid of them or take them to the sale barn,” Jody said. “If they end up being 1,000 pounds, that’s OK. Every calf gains at a different rate.”
Cattle receive mineral supplements and are vaccinated annually. Calves receive a Nasalegen with PMH as newborns and again at weaning to reduce respiratory issues and pink eye.
While the goal is to sell as many calves as possible through Sharp Meats, Jody and Alisha know it is impossible to market all of their calves, so some do go to the sale barn.
“Our expectation isn’t that we’re going to wean 250 calves and sell all 250,” Jody said. “I would love to do that, but it’s not realistic, especially in the early stages of this.”
Most of the Sharp herd is spring calving, with only a small group of females set up for fall calving. Angus and Gelbvieh bulls are used with the herd.
“I just like that hybrid vigor,” Jody said, adding that the carcass quality has been high. “The guy we fed through has called four times, and he just wants to buy our calves and feed them himself.”
They recently purchased bulls with a higher marbling score to improve carcass quality. Cattle are rotated through paddock systems located across the farms the Sharps own and lease.
“At the grazing school, they said you could run 15 to 20 percent more animal units per acre,” Jody said. “I remember thinking that’s not possible because there is only so much grass out there. I found out they were exactly right because I’m running about 15 percent more than I used to.”
By allowing rest periods, the couple said their forages are thriving.
“They can’t keep up with it,” Jody said. “When we’re done grazing an area, we leave grass.” The amount of hay fed in the winter has decreased with the implementation of the grazing program.
“Between us and my brother-in-law (Alisha’s brother Andy Doak who is partners with the Sharps on some farming endeavors), we have 550 to 600 cows, and we plan on keeping 500 bales of dry hay just for the cows. The old saying is to keep three bales per cow for winter, and we’re barely keeping one.”
Poultry litter is the primary fertilizer for the farming operations. No commercial fertilizer has been purchased for at least eight years. Jody said he has learned soil filled with earthworms is healthy spoil, and chemical fertilizers can kill earthworms. Additionally, the Sharp herd requires no deworming because of the rotational system, which can support two cows per acre.
One hundred and fifteen-haired ewes are the source of their grass-fed lamb. The flock began as an FFA SAE project for their daughters, Elavia and Jaka, but has grown from the original 25 or so ewes.
Lambs graze and receive the same baleage at weaning and in the winter months, but never any grain.
“They gain just as well on that as they would if they received grain,” Jody explained. Lamb may not be as popular as beef in the Ozarks, but a growing market exists. Alisha and Jody enjoy the sheep operation because the flock is easier to handle and is more profitable per acre than beef.
“The grass isn’t any different here than it is there, but you can just make a little more if you are willing to handle that many,” Jody said.
In addition to the typical cuts of beef and lamb, Sharp Meats also has requests beef tongue, ox tail and organ meat.
“Over the years, we just haven’t seen a lot of that,” Jody said of the demand for organ meat. “We got a call from a guy in St. Louis who wanted all of the sheep kidneys he could get. I was surprised, but on the 15 lambs we processed, we saved all the kidneys. There’s also a demand for lamb fries. We don’t even cut the ram lambs now.”
“When we’ve sold live lambs, some people don’t want us to do anything to them,” Alisha said. “They don’t wait the tails docked, the testicles cut and at least 90 pounds.” Jody added some ethnic markets want male lambs to be “unblemished.”
Both beef and lamb are processed at Zimmerman’s in Summersville, Mo., for the Sharp Meats label. Alisha and Jody said seeing their label the first time made the business “official.”
In a farm-to-table operation, Jody and Alisha feel it is important for customers to know how the meat they purchase is raised and the people producing it.
“They can come, and we will show them around,” Jody said. “I think some of the health issues we have as a society are because of things with our food not being done right. I think when that gets promoted, people want to know where their food comes from.”
“I think it’s the idea that they can come out and see the farm that customers want,” Alisha added. “My friend, who has bought from us for several years, likes knowing where her meat came from. They might not want to see the animal, but they know where it came from.”
Willcross WXR7878, 3.5’ Tall
50 SOYBEANS - LAREDO 50# 47.84
Very Tall Forage Type
50 SOYBEANS - ENLIST® E3 WILLCROSS 50# 48.90
2, 4-D, Liberty, Roundup
50 SOYBEANS 50# 53.30
Extend Flex 4812 Roundup, Liberty, Dicamba
80K CORN, Roundup Ready® Lewis RB108VT2 20K 196.50
80K CORN, Roundup Ready® Silage R1315VT2P 20K 234.84
Lb./Acre
In 1989, Norman and Vera Kilmer opened their retail store to sell farm seeds to the community around Barnett, Mo. Milking a small herd of cattle on their farm and operating a repair shop for hydraulic jacks are some of the ways the Kilmers’ found to sustain their life on a dairy farm.
Norman was a part-time salesman for field seed corn to the farmers in his neighborhood and surrounding area. As a promotion to farmers who ordered field seed corn, the seed company gave each one a package of sweet corn for their garden. Their wives began requesting additional garden seed, which Norman was able to provide. He offered three varieties of sweet corn and one variety of shell peas. Norman contacted each of these ladies the following winter and asked what seed they’d need for the coming spring. He was able to pre-order garden seeds to meet their needs.
Norman remodeled a chicken house to display and store garden seeds at that time. Later, they attached a mobile home trailer to serve as office space. The aisles were very narrow and filled quickly in the spring. The joke was if you wanted to change your mind, you would have to go outside. In reality, there would some-
times be more than a dozen customers trying to get around each other. People encouraged Norman to build a new store, and after a few years, he did just that.
In 1994, Norman and Vera became shareholders in the Central Missouri Produce Auction, which opened to provide a
place for commercial vegetable growers to sell their plants and produce. The growers needed more seed to plant to produce crops for the auction. In 1995, their vegetable seed sales tripled. In 1999, on the advice of Norman’s father-in-law, Abe Rissler, they decided to sell the milking herd and equipment. The hydraulic jack repair business was also sold to concentrate on building the retail and wholesale seed and garden equipment business. The family still owns the farm and now produces small bales of hay.
Morgan County Seeds LLC produces around 1,000 varieties of packaged seeds. They source seed from different areas of the United States, including California, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado. They grow two seeds for packaging locally. They do not offer GMO seeds, and Morgan County Seeds is one of the largest volume wholesalers and retailers of vegetable seeds in Missouri.
In addition to selling vegetable seeds, Morgan County Seeds have a packaging and shipping facility. Five or six years ago, they invested a counting machine which counts the seeds to go into the packaging, and have recently invested in a new packaging machine, which can package 13 to 17 packets a minute.
Along with the vegetable seeds and gardening equipment, there are around 5,000 SKU numbers of products offered for sale, including greenhouses, high tunnels, irrigation supplies, mulch, herbicides, insecticides and row covers.
As interest in commercial gardening grew, Norman asked Errol Ahler to drive a van to Columbia to a high-tunnel seminar. He then got Errol into driving vans for the community. As Norman and Vera focused on selling local retail and wholesale products, Errol offered to put a catalog online and created the online version of the Morgan County Seed Catalog. He also became a salesman for the company. Web orders are filled at the store and sent out from there via US Mail, UPS or FedEx. Customers include home gardeners, organic growers, greenhouse operations and commercial vegetable growers. They have testimonials from customers about their striving to give good quality and provide good service.
Morgan County Seeds LLC adheres to the Safe Seed Pledge, where they pledge, along with other seed companies, to protect the safe and genetically stable source of seeds upon which our lives depend. For quality control, seeds are tested every 10 months in house and by the state to meet federal standards.
After 33 years in business, Norman, Vera and two of their children, Esther and James, plus 10 employees work year round to provide their customers a seed and supply store. Vera and Esther can be seen running the cash register.
Norman and Vera seem content with their philosophy of life which Norman stated as, “We have no goal or ambition to get rich. We just want to make a living for ourselves and our family and be able to take care of our employees with a little left over.”
Store hours are Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed Good Friday and Ascension Day.
LOCKWOOD - LOCKWOOD - 138 Ac CR 72. Road frontage on 2 sides, mostly all tillable $759,000
MILLER - MILLER - 120 Ac. Hwy 97, Nice open farm, tillable acres, nice livestock barns, home, great location .................................... $785,000
$688,500
STOCKTON - STOCKTON - Hwy B, 153 Ac. This beautiful 153 ac. Has it all! Bottom ground, scattered woods and upground w/nice highway frontage, some sites, cattle-tights fence, Cedar Creek flowing through entire property. Don’t miss!
STOCKTON - STOCKTON - Hwy B, 250 Ac. Really nice, mostly open property for livestock & hay production, upland & bottom ground, pipe corrals, well, Cedar Creek flowing through entire property ...................... $1,125,000
road frontage on 2 sides................ $292,500
FORDLAND - FORDLAND - Stewerd Drive, 25.5 Ac., Beautiful land w/great open views, multi. building sites, open, good fencing. ..................... $306,240
BOIS D’ARC - BOIS D’ARC - Farm Road 144, 37 Ac., Convenient to Springfield, beautiful rolling ground & mostly open property, great building sites ..... $325,000
EVERTON - EVERTON - 80 Ac. Dade 77. Mostly open, scattered walnuts, fenced, gently rolling. .......... .............................................. $440,000
STOCKTON - STOCKTON - Hwy M, 78 Ac., Nice balance of open/wooded ground, 3 BR home with w/o basement, 24x36 morton barn, horse barn, equip. shed, good fencing. ............ $485,000
BOLIVAR - BOLIVAR - 325th Road, 202 Ac., This 202 +/- acre property is located north of Bolivar & adjacent to Pomme de Terre Lake, great hunting, livestock or recreation ground... $649,000
EVERTON - 130 Ac. Dade 117. 1.4 miles of road frontage on three sides, open, fences, well, pond, pipe corals, great views........... $715,000
LOCKWOOD - LOCKWOOD - 160 Ac CR 41. Open and level pasture ground just north of Lockwood, fenced, rural water. $720,000
SQUIRES - CR 955, 264 Ac., Beautiful farm situated in a valley south of Ava, 3 BR home, shop, garage, equipment shed, livestock barn, ponds, creek. Don’t miss this one! ... $750,000
tomkisseerealestate.com
ALDRICH - ALDRICH - 237 Ac., Hwy 215, Really nice property overlooking Stockton Lake, mostly open, ponds, cattle tight fencing, road frontage on 3 sides ...................................... $832,000
FORDLAND - FORDLAND -155 Ac., Tall Grass Rd., Nice open farm, tillable ground, shop, commodity barn, feed pens, pipe corrals $995,000
EVERTON - 186 Ac. Dade 184. Fenced and crossfenced, well, several ponds, barn, shed, one mile of road frontage. Very Nice! .... $1,018,350
WENTWORTH - WENTWORTH - Law. 2145, 37 Ac., Located just off I-44, 2 - 50x600 tunnel barns, 2 - 42x300 ft. conventional turkey barns, 2 BR home, 60x100 red iron equipment barn ............... $1,200,000
BOLIVAR - BOLIVAR - Hwy 83, 385 Ac., Hunters Paradise, mostly wooded, hwy frontage, deer & turkey, beautiful building sites $1,540,000
MOUNTAIN GROVE - MOUNTAIN GROVE - 140 Ac. CR 76-149, Beautiful property lying South of Mountain Grove, 6,350 sq. ft. home is exquisite custom built w/ imported cypress, 40x60 insulated shop, 2 BR cabin, too much to list............... $1,750,000
MT. VERNON - MT. VERNON - 445 Ac., Law. 2170, Great cattle ranch w/mostly open & some tillable ground, new fences, red iron barn, 3 wells .. $2,500,000
EVERTON - EVERTON - 522 Ac., Dade 184, all contiguous w/road frontage throughout, great open pasture w/views all around, 14 ponds, 2 barns, pipe/corral, really nice
$2,583,900
THEODOSIA - THEODOSIA - Wallace Ranch Rd., 638 Ac., Beautiful open and productive farm, live water, multi. springs, pipe corral, multi. barns, new 50x60 insulated shop, 3 BR w/o basement home, paved drive, really nice .... $3,000,000
GAINESVILLE - GAINESVILLE - 1,753 Ac. Hwy N, Great grass farm setup & ready to go, 750 Ac. open, 1,000 Ac. timber, 4 BR home, commodity barn, equipment & livestock barns, great water & fencing .........
.............................................. $4,999,000
NORWOOD - NORWOOD - 2,590 Ac. Hwy 76 CR 137, Exceptional cattle ranch in heart of cow/calf country, mostly open w/fence, 3 acres of bottom ground, many buildings, 30 plus ponds & pipe water, 2 nice homes, too much to list ....
........................................... $7,888,200
417.882.5531
Cross Timbers, MO
Bruce Johnmeyer, Contact, 660-221-5414
Items Pictured: Caterpillar 627B Self-Propelled Pull/Push Scraper, 1982 Caterpillar 14GMotor Grader
W/Multi-Shank Ripper, 1996 Caterpillar 938FWheel Loader.
Also Listed: 1980 Steiger Bearcat ST225 4WDTractor, Caterpillar 613 Self-Propelled Elevating Scraper, Caterpillar 627B Self-Propelled Pull/Push Scraper,Caterpillar 953 Track Loader,Caterpillar D8K Dozer, Ford/New Holland 250C2WD Tractor w/Loader, 1981 Ford LN7000 2WDService Truck, 1977 Caterpillar
D7GDozer, 1995 International 5000 T/A Transit Mixer Truck, 1997 Lull Highlander 644B-37 4x4x4 Telehandler, 1998 Caterpillar 963B Track Loader, 2006 GMC C7500 2WD Service Truck w/Auto Crane. Visit www.bigiron.com for details and complete listings!
Location: Licking, Mo.
Owners: Roger and Betty Kinder, and Ethan and Haley Kinder
History: Kinder Feed & Farm Supply opened many years ago as Kinder Plant Food, offering fertilizer and lime to landowners in the area.
In 2019, the Kinder family launched Kinder Feed and Farm Supply.
“My husband (Ethan) and his dad (Roger) always wanted to have a feed store,” co-owner Haley Kinder explained. “When MFA shut down, they thought it would be a good time to do it.”
Products and Services: Kinder Feed and Farm Supply still offer customers fertilizer and lime, including buggies and custom spreading.
Inside the store, farmers and ranchers can find everything from feed to ropes.
“We have a full line of ADM products on the floor, Dryshod boots, Cactus ropes, and we also do our own custom mixes and deliver bulk feed,” Haley said, adding the Kinder 1/3 Beef mix and their custom poultry mixes are among their top sellers.
Kinder Feed & Farm Supply also has a wide selection of herbicides and pesticides; livestock pharmaceuticals (such as vaccinations and dewormers); pet food from Victory, Joy and Value Pack; salt and mineral blocks; lick tubs; water tanks, equine supplies; gates; fencing supplies; and many other farm- and livestock-related products.
Being a farming family themselves, the Kinders stock what they feel farmers and ranchers might need daily.
your
If you sell meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy products, eggs or any other farm to table products, be sure your farm is listed on From eFarmToYou.com e listing is completely free. Just visit From eFarmToYou.com and click on “Submit Your Farm” at the top of the page. www.From
Customers can find garden seed, seed potatoes, and other gardening supplies in the spring, but they do not carry live plants. Kinder Feed & Farm Supply holds a fish day in the fall and spring. Other seasonal items include hay wrap in the summer and, in the winter, fuel additives.
For the farm kid, or the farm kid at heart, Kinder Feed & Farm Supply has farm toys, with a more extensive selection on display during the Christmas season.
“We have a good selection and are happy with what we can offer,” Haley said.
Future plans: “Right now, it’s kind of like see what comes our way and go from there,” Haley said.
Gabe Farrar could have been the generation to leave the family farm behind. Still, the Bates County, Mo., native not only stayed on the farm, he diversified it, became a fulltime farmer and learned how his farming practices could replenish the soil, not diminish it.
Today, Gabe and his wife Katie operate Farrar Family Farm in Adrian, Mo., offering farm-fresh meats directly to customers.
Gabe and Katie purchased their 400acre farm from his parents and left their jobs in 2016. They now offer grass-finished beef and lamb, and pastured pork, chicken and turkey.
“We want to build diversity in the farm for economic reasons and production,” Gabe said. “In some seasons, one might not do very well, but the others will, and it helps the soil get a diversity of nutrients.”
The Farrars take a natural approach to agriculture, choosing to raise all of their animals in a forage- and pasture-based manner.
“We’re trying to do things the natural way, the old way,” Gabe said. “Before World War II, you didn’t have all of
the chemicals and antibiotics available. They could produce good, highly-nutritious food and not deplete their soil. They had to treat the soil well year after year, so we’re taking a modern approach to that, using low inputs and higher time management, and treating the soil as our number one coworker.”
“Some say we’re livestock farmers, but we’re grass farmers because without the grass and the soil, the rest wouldn’t happen,” Katie said. “We do all we can to focus on grass and soil health, and the rest of it falls into place when that’s taken care of.”
Cattle graze about 160 acres of the farm through a management-intensive grazing system. The size of the paddocks grazed depends on the time of year and the amount of grass available.
“We have seven permanent paddocks, but we subdivide those and move every day,” Gabe explained.
The couple is working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service through the EQIP program to turn wooded areas into grazable pastures
through a grant to aid in the building of fences and water sources.
Gabe and Katie had a lot of work to do to get the land and grass ready for livestock.
“When my parents bought this farm 15, 16 years ago, a lot of it was in CRP (Conservation Reserve Program), and it was mismanaged,” Gabe explained. “It was overgrown, and we started from scratch on a lot of it. There was a lot of mowing to get weeds under control. In a couple of paddocks, we kind of let nature take its course and tried to manage it with animals and mowing.
“In others, we had a lot of problems with fescue toxicity with the cattle we had at the time. We disked some of those paddocks up and reseeded with endophyte-free fescue and some other blends, like a seven-way blend of cool season grasses, to get some diversity and time and slowly get some legumes in there. Our approach now is managing it well and doing things that let it grow.”
Issues with the toxic fescue caused the couple to move toward the South Poll breed.
“We learned a lot through that transition,” Katie said. “We started with black
— Continued on Next Page
Continued from Previous Page
Angus, and we were seeing they weren’t performing well with the basic methods, and moved to breeds that worked better on a grass-based system. We have a mix and match of breeds, but we got rid of quite a few that needed grain finishing or a lot more babying.”
They moved away from a cow/calf operation two or three years ago because of the demand for their grass-finished beef. They average about 80 stocker/feeder calves sourced from South Poll breeders who also follow a grass-only methodology.
“They transition really well,” Katie said. “We found that they don’t transition well if they don’t come from a similar approach.”
Calves come to the Farrar Family Farm after weaning, weighing 550 to 650 pounds, and will remain there for 16 to 18 months. They are currently processing 40 to 50 calves a year.
Calves receive salt, minerals and trace minerals, kelp, garlic and other supplements, but no grain.
Farrar Family Farm broilers are also raised on pasture.
“We only raise meat birds, so we pick one pasture a year and isolate those birds to that pasture,” Gabe explained. “They are raised in a mobile coop, which is like a greenhouse on skids. It will move about 30 feet daily.”
They have multiple batches of the Cornish-cross meat birds each year, so the entire selected pasture benefits from the chicken manure.
“It fertilizes itself in a season,” Katie said. “The cattle also move through that pasture. We’re not bringing in litter from another source or running a tractor over that pasture. It’s nice because we bring the chicks in, and everything from their gut is used to our farm’s microbiome, and we’re not bringing in any chemicals and medications from their poop; they are just regular old chickens.”
The 7,000 chickens the couple raise annually receive a free-choice non-GMO feed.
“They can eat that or forage whatever they pick,” Katie said.
“The cattle keep everything mowed, and the chickens provide nutrients and scratch the soil,” Gabe added.
Gabe and Katie also raise and process about 250 turkeys each year.
“We have our first batch (of the year) here, and those will be butchered in July for things like deli turkey, ground turkey, and all the different cuts, like breasts and thighs,” Katie explained. “The second batch will come in the summer and be processed for our Thanksgiving whole turkeys. They take longer to raise than the chickens, so we only do two batches. We raise them the same as we do the chickens – same structure and pasture – they just move along with them.”
Katie added the demand is high for the birds – both chicken and turkey – and they have increased production several times.
“We’re finally to the point where we might have to hold at a certain number,” she said. “With just the two of us and occasional help from family, that keeps us going – a lot.”
A mix of haired sheep, mostly Katahdin, Dorper, St. Croix, Romanov, came to the operation for natural weed control and to appeal to a new customer base.
“You can raise more pounds per acre,” Gabe said. “They rotate, just like the cows, and we would like to eventually merge them. We are still investigating that, and we will have to update some fencing to do it. Once it’s fully integrated, we are also looking at adding some goats to hit that even harder.”
Gabe and Katie moved from buying feeder ram lambs to get their “feet wet” in sheep production to raising lambs from their flock of ewes, which consists of about 55 ewes, with hopes of increasing to about 150 once the sheep graze with their cattle.
“This past year, we bought some older ewes that were bred and some younger ewe lambs,” Gabe said. “We just finished lambing our older ewes and are getting ready to breed our younger ewes for year-round production and maintaining that flock.”
“People think of mutton when it comes to lamb,” Katie said. “We’ve had some customers say we might have accidentally given them ground beef because our lamb is so mild in flavor.”
Gabe added they have found the sheep manure, as a fertilizer, to be higher in nutrients than chicken litter.
Like other livestock at the Farrar Family Farm, the pigs have a dual purpose.
Pigs are raised in a designated wooded area of the farm that needs improvement. They use the pigs to clear out underbrush and remove unwanted species, such as blackberries and poison ivy.
“We’ve been running pigs in one area for about four years now and instead of daily moving, they get about two weeks in a paddock to give them time to displace things. It’s all balanced on that disturbance and rest method,” Gabe said. “With the cows, chickens and sheep, you want a quick disturbance and a long rest period. The pigs are the opposite in that we want more disturbance because the goal is for them to till up that soil, getting out all of the poison ivy, rosebushes, blackberries, and other things. Then we can go back in and reclaim it.”
The pigs are brought to the farm as feeders sourced from a local breeder. In addition to foraging, they receive a free-choice non-GMO feed and are processed at about 8 months of age. Gabe and Katie estimate that they will process 150 pigs, or more, this year.
“For our size, it’s more economical for us to do feeders,” Gabe said. “When you crunch the numbers, having to keep breeding stock year-round and farrowing care, you need to butcher 200 or more just to justify the extra enterprise.”
Because of their proximity to the Kansas City, Mo., area, Gabe and Katie feel they have an extensive customer base, which includes online sales and farmers markets.
“We started with just beef, then added chicken and got to make that connection with customers,” Katie said. “Meeting the person who raises their food seals the deal with them and makes them more confident about what they are ordering. We have gotten to know so many families; then they share with their neighbor at a barbecue that they got these hot dogs through the Farrars.”
In Town: Randy Golliher has worked at Lebanon MFA for 27 years, most recently as a sales representative.
“I started in sales and on the dock to learn the products, then into the office and then in outside sales. That meant going to lots of customers’ locations, calling on our current customers, and prospective clients. Of course, all those years ago, we still had lots of dairy customers and that has changed over the years. Today, we serve cattle farmers, swine, equine and poultry producers.
“Today, I do some feed rations, some fertilizer, seed, and I’m in the office a lot more. With MFA, we are truly blessed to have all the resources available to us that we do like nutritionists, an agronomist, a staff veterinarian, any of whom we can call on to answer a customer’s particular question or even come down to help us solve a customer’s specific problem.”
After over two decades, Randy said he still feels like he has a lot to learn.
“What I like best about this job is that it is always something different, definitely not the same thing every day. It is surprising, but there is always something new in terms of problem-solving, something new to learn.”
In the Country: Randy and his wife, Veronica, live on 45 acres where they raise a dozen commercial beef cows and have eight quarter horses. Veronica drives a school bus for Camden County schools and raises standard Australian Shepherds. Their son, Garrett, is a senior and part of the rodeo team at Missouri Valley and is about to graduate with a degree in agriculture business. Their daughter, McKenna, attended Ozarks Technical Community College for two years before going to Missouri State University in Springfield, majoring in agriculture business and communication. She is the family barrel racer.
“I started rodeoing in high school at age 15,” Randy explained. “I grew up in Indiana and went to community college in Fort Scott, Kan., on a rodeo scholarship and then to what was then Southwest Missouri State as a part of their rodeo team.
“I married me a Show-Me State girl and have lived west of the Mississippi ever since, and I love it.
“We enjoy our Quarter Horses and do some trail-riding, but we spend a lot of our time chasing rodeo and barrel racing events with our kids. Garrett was at college for two years in Carthage, Texas, riding bulls and saddle broncs before returning to Missouri. Recently, we were at a college rodeo in Tennessee where he was looking into an internship. McKenna participated in the BBR (Better Barrel Races) world finals last year in Oklahoma, and there were 2,200 horses on-site at the time.
“I enjoyed my time in rodeo, but now it is our kids’ turn, and we are happy to keep up with them and their activities.”
Video Preview and Sale may be found at www.joplinstockyards.com For online bidding: click on Live Auction, then Create New DVAuction Account to register. Account must be arranged in advance along with bank approval at least 4 days prior to sale. For questions or bank approval call Dustin, Misti or Clay at 417-548-2333.
Breeds & Crosses Include: Angus, Gelbvieh, Red Angus, SimAngus, & Hereford. Primarily crossbreds with a few purebreds. About 70% are black or black whiteface, 30% are red or red whiteface. Many are Synchronized & AI Bred • A few Tier Two and Show-Me-Plus heifers are in the offering.
NOTICE: New JRS in-person buyers should bring a letter of preapproval from their bank when registering prior to the sale Program Requirements
ï Heifers have met minimum standards for reproductive soundness, pelvic size, body condition and weight and are free of blemishes.
ï Heifers bred to bulls meeting strict calving ease EPD requirements.
ï A strict immunization program has been followed including official Brucellosis calfhood vaccination. Heifers are tested and found negative for BVD-PI.
ï Heifers will calve from late August to November 30 and were preg checked within 30 days of the sale.
Broken S Land & Cattle LLC, Aurora J & J Farms, Sarcoxie Hunter Lane Cattle Co., Pierce City
2023 CONSIGNORS INCLUDE:
Kunkel Farms Red Angus, Neosho
Show Me Prime Angus Ranch, LLC, Sarcoxie
Steven & Jared Kleiboeker Farms, Wentworth
Robert Miller, Aurora Nolan Kleiboeker Farm LLC, Wentworth Aspen Ridge LLC, Carthage
For Questions Contact: Patrick Davis, davismp@missouri.edu, 417-276-3313 or Andy McCorkill, mccorkilla@missouri.edu, 417-345-7551
For more information, please visit: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/show-me-select-replacement-heifer-program
Sponsored by: Show-Me-Select™ Replacement Heifers, Inc. a non-profi t organization in cooperation with: University of Missouri Extension, MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Division of Animal Sciences, Commercial Agriculture Program, MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Missouri Department of Agriculture.
I am Dr. Zachary Jarrett D.D.S. and I practice dentistry in rural Missouri. Having grown up on a small farm in central Missouri, farm life is near and dear to my heart. My father is a turkey and cattle farmer as was my grandfather before him. When I applied to dental school, I knew I wanted to come back close to home and practice in a rural setting. I am proud to serve in my community. We provide much needed services to individuals who otherwise would not have access to healthcare.
Life on a farm is busy and there are constantly new challenges. Livestock need to be fed and tended to daily. On a turkey farm, something is always in need of repair. The busier life is, the more likely we are to put things off until things become painful or bothersome. I often hear patients say, “I haven’t been to the dentist in years, but I can’t take this pain any longer.”
If I could give farmers and ranchers one piece of advice about their oral health, it would be simply – don’t wait until you are in a lot of pain to see the dentist. Prevention is key to good oral hygiene. Routine dental exams and cleanings are important for us to catch
things while they are minor and require less invasive treatment. Preventative dental treatment is often much more affordable and comfortable than the extensive care that is required from waiting until it becomes painful. It’s best to change the oil in farm equipment routinely instead of waiting for the engine to smoke or stall. In the same way, catching oral health problems early leads to the best outcomes.
For many patients, having bad teeth seems like a family curse that can’t be escaped. I often hear, “Bad teeth run in my family, so I guess that’s why my teeth are bad too.” Some patients who already have extensive dental problems may fall into thinking, “Why bother – I will just get dentures.” The problem with this thinking is that it falsely causes patients to give up on caring for their teeth. While there are genetic factors to oral health, most of these issues can be overcome with good oral hygiene habits and routine dental care.
I often tell patients dentures are a life-changing decision. Patients with dentures must learn to talk and chew again; it’s like losing a leg and learning to walk with a prosthetic. Patients are always
surprised at how differently dentures function than their natural teeth. Even when multiple teeth have been lost, beginning to practice good oral hygiene habits and routine care still leads to better outcomes.
As every cattle rancher already knows, the condition of a cow’s teeth can be a sign of the overall health of the animal. Cattle ranchers may be surprised to learn that the condition of their teeth is also associated with their overall health. For example, research shows that there is a correlation between oral health and other conditions such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, periodontitis has been linked to premature birth and low birth weight. Good oral health promotes good overall health for the whole family. By keeping routine dental exams and practicing daily brushing and flossing, you can be a part of a new health legacy for your family. One day your child may say, “Everyone in my family has good teeth so that’s why I do too.”
“So what do you want to talk about today? What questions do you have?”
Taylor Pedersen, D.O., asks as a group of walkers takes off down the trail at Dallas County Community Park in Buffalo, Mo.
On a rare warm and sunny day in early March, the group first talks about how nofat and low-fat diets can harm the brain and lead to dementia. The conversation transitions to how popular diet programs can be harmful and which diets to avoid.
Next up, sugar consumption in the U.S. has increased exponentially since the 1960s.
What is to blame for the increase?
“Processed foods,” Kristina Kaufmann, D.O. said. “Sugar makes everything taste better, but sugar is like a drug. It is addictive. Fruits and vegetables with lean meats are the way to go.”
The doctors tell patients daily that they need to be more active. Pedersen recalls a quote she often repeats,
“Respect your body enough to move it,” she said.
By hosting the monthly walking events, the doctors show they are willing to do what they are telling their patients to do.
“And we want people to know we are real people, too, just like them,” Kaufmann added.
Walking together reinforces the idea of accountability, which Kaufmann says is
vital to success with a fitness program.
“Even if you’ve worked out your entire life, it’s so easy to get into a rut and not want to do it,” she said.
Why walk? Can’t you burn more calories and get more benefits from other forms of exercise?
“Walking is something everyone can do,” Kaufmann said. “It doesn’t matter your speed. It’s important to get your heart rate up, but you don’t have to run to do it. Especially as women get older, we need to exercise to build our muscles and keep our bones strong. And it helps us sleep better.”
Walking is good for:
n Muscle strength
n Joint health
n Stress relief
n Emotional health
n Mental health
n Heart health
n Weight control
“There are so many things that just moving your body can do for you that really no medicine or other form of health can do for you in such a unified, combined manner,” Pedersen said.
“Walking is the best thing that we can do for our bodies.”
Receipts: 1,748
Feeder Sheep/Lambs: Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 250.00-360.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 210.00-280.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 160.00-240.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per unit): 125.00-130.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 80.00-140.00.
Hair Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 85.00-87.50.
Hair Ewes - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 130.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 135.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 80.00-115.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 60.00-115.00.
Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 80.00-150.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 140.00-360.00.
Feeder Goats:
National Dairy Market 4/14/23
Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.5125 and 40# blocks at $1.7750. The weekly average for barrels is $1.5715 (-0.1941) and blocks, $1.7990 (-0.0154).
Fluid Milk/Cream: The Dairy Market News staff and their myriad contacts are saddened to hear of the fire that occurred at a dairy operation in Texas, where an employee was injured, and thousands of dairy cattle were lost. Farm level milk output is steady to growing across most of the country. In the Northeast and MidAtlantic states spring flush conditions are progressing. There is ample fluid milk, condensed skim, and cream available. Field work is beginning in several regions. Some bottling orders have been affected by school closures for spring break. In the Midwest, milk supplies are very strong. The spot milk price range continues to be as low as $11 to $4 under Class III. Production of certain soft serve mixes and frozen desserts is steady at the moment, and Class II multiples remained steady in all regions. Contacts have shared that they expect frozen dessert production to pick up in the near term. In the West, milk volumes vary. Persistent flooding continues to impede cow comfort in some areas of California, whereas other locales are seeing strong output. In Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho farm level milk output is steady to stronger. Milk output in New Mexico is level. F.O.B. cream multiples are 1.151.30 in the East, 1.17-1.25 in the Midwest, and .95-1.22 in the West.
SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM: $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT, F.O.B., producing plants, Midwestern U.S. - $2.8403 - $2.9101.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per unit): 80.00-125.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 50.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per unit): 50.00-70.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00-115.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per unit): 130.00-295.00.
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 160.00-465.00.
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/20-40 lbs lamb (per unit): 200.00-390.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-365.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 250.00-305.00.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 260.00-375.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 220.00-300.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 105.00-130.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 125.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 120.00-200.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00-145.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 140.00-225.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 210.00420.00.
White Sheep/Goat 4/6/23
Receipts: 1,393
Feeder Sheep/Lambs: Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 120.00-220.00.
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 185.00-340.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 125.00255.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 235.00-265.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 92.50-240.00.
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-375.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 205.00-290.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 110.00-200.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 150.00-200.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 105.00.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 285.00-310.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 225.00-270.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 180.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 80.00-185.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00-195.00.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 175.00-215.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 215.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 135.00-325.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 160.00495.00.
Receipts: 1,001
Feeder Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 225.00-285.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prim 1-3 (per cwt): 237.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 213.00-271.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 180.00-230.00.
Hair Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 120.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 123.00-132.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-126.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00-122.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 123.00-138.00.
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per unit): 135.00-280.00. Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 260.00.
Hair Feeder Kids Kids Kids Slaughter Kids Kids Kids Nannies/Does Bucks/Billies Wethers Replacement Nannies/Does Nannies/Does Families 250.00.
Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 85.00-87.50.
Good 1-2 (per cwt): 130.00.
Good 2-3 (per cwt): 135.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 80.00-115.00.
Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 60.00-115.00. (per cwt): 100.00.
- 1-2 (per cwt): 80.00-150.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit):
140.00-360.00.
Goats: Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-375.00.
Selection 2 (per cwt): 205.00-290.00.
Selection 3 (per cwt): 110.00-200.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 150.00-200.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 105.00.
Goats: Selection 1 (per cwt): 285.00-310.00.
Selection 2 (per cwt): 225.00-270.00.
Selection 3 (per cwt): 180.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 80.00-185.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 125.00-195.00.
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 175.00-215.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 215.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 135.00-325.00.
Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 160.00-
1,001
Sheep/Lambs:
Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 225.00-285.00.
Sheep/Lambs:
Shorn - Choice and Prim 1-3 (per cwt): 237.00.
Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 213.00-271.00.
Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 180.00-230.00.
Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 120.00.
Good 2-3 (per cwt): 123.00-132.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-126.00. - 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00-122.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 123.00-138.00.
Small and Medium 1-2 (per unit): 135.00-280.00.
Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit):
Hair Bucks - Small and Medium 1-2 9 (per cwt): 195.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 325.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 225.00-302.50.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 142.50-222.50.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 292.50-362.50.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 220.00-282.50.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 150.00-175.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 90.00-155.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 147.00-220.00.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 180.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 187.50-325.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 235.00-400.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 200.00250.00.
National Direct Delivered Feeder Pig Report 4/14/23 Receipts This Week: 119,688
Early weaned pigs are 5.00 per head lower and feeder pigs are 1.00 per head lower. Demand is weak on heavy offerings.
Volume By State Or Province Of Origin: Missouri 5.5%
Total Composite Weighted Average Receipts and Price (Formula and Cash):
All Early Weaned Pigs: 106,083 head, wtd. avg. 27.10.
All Feeder Pigs: 13,605 head, wtd. avg. 71.32.
Daily Direct Hog Report 4/14/23
Barrows and Gilts Purchased Swine (including Packer Sold)
National Head Count: 4,237
National Price Range: 62.00-72.00.
Western Cornbelt Wtd Avg Price: 69.90.
Western Cornbelt 5 Day Rolling Avg: 71.07.
Long days and short nights seemed to be the theme for this week. Farmers all across the state were very busy. Fertilizer buggies and anhydrous tanks were hard to get as everyone is
rolling now. Corn planning is underway with many farmers working into the late hours as the weather is about as perfect as one can ask for. The supply of hay is light, demand is light to moderate and prices are steady. The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a hay directory visit http://mda.mo.gov/ abd/haydirectory/ for listings of hay http://agebb.missouri.
edu/haylst/
Alfalfa - Supreme (Ask/Per Ton): Medium Square 3x3: 250.00-300.00.
Alfalfa - Supreme (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 10.00-15.00.
Alfalfa - Premium (Ask/Per Ton): Medium Square 3x3: 180.00-250.00.
Alfalfa - Good (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 150.00-180.00.
Alfalfa - Good (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-9.00.
Alfalfa - Fair (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 125.00-150.00.
Alfalfa/Grass Mix - Good/Premium (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-9.00.
Mixed Grass - Good/Premium (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 125.00-175.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair/Good (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 100.00-150.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair/Good (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-8.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair (Ask/Per Bale): Large Round: 50.00100.00.
Corn Stalk (Ask/Per Bale): Round: 35.00-55.00.
Straw: Wheat (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 4.00-7.00.
Cattle Visions has one of the most diverse and complete semen inventories in the nation. Since our warehouse is located in Central Missouri, our freight rates will be reasonable. We sell semen on the hottest bulls in the U.S.A!
By Anita Harrison
Talking with an orthopedic surgeon will help patients decide when the time is right.
Farmers value independence. It’s one of the benefits of the job. But it’s hard to stay healthy and active with a bad hip, shoulder or knee.
“You can’t afford to let joint pain hold you back on the farm,” said Lake Regional Orthopedic Surgeon Jeffrey Mutchler, D.O. “The good news is, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Total joint replacement is a safe, effective treatment that renews confidence and restores independence.”
Like any big decision, you’ll want to get all the facts first, Dr. Mutchler added. “It is major surgery, and you want to learn as much as possible to ensure you are ready,” he said. “Talking with an orthopedic surgeon will help you know if it’s the right time for you.”
1Pain is ruling your life. When joint pain makes it hard to sleep or forces you to change your daily routine, that’s a sign your current coping tactics aren’t enough.
2You’ve already tried other treatments. “Nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy and injections, might bring enough relief to make surgery unnecessary, or at least delay it,” Dr. Mutchler said. “But if you’ve tried other treatments and they no longer work, or you’re starting to deal with unwanted side effects, it makes sense to look at surgery.”
3You are losing independence. It’s one thing to give up a once-in-a-while game of basketball. It’s another to find yourself unable to climb into a truck or
put on socks. Joint replacement is important for getting people back to their normal daily activities.
4You are ready to take on surgery and recovery. You must commit to follow through on doctor’s orders for exercise and rehabilitation. “Joint replacement is not an instant fix,” Dr. Mutchler said. “Success depends on you putting in the time and effort to get strong.” Committing to the full process is so important that Lake Regional offers Total Joint Camp, a two-hour class that walks through the process, from start to full function. Loved ones are welcome to attend and absorb as much information as possible.
Your orthopedic surgeon will review your medical history to ensure no health problem rules out surgery. You also might be encouraged to make some lifestyle changes – for example, quitting smoking – to be as healthy as possible for the procedure and recovery.
5You feel it’s time. Maybe you’ve heard that you have to be a certain age to be a candidate for joint replacement. Although age is a consideration, it’s no longer the deciding factor for most people. Instead, the focus is on symptoms and quality of life. Are you missing activities you enjoy? Are you feeling down because you can’t do what you want and need to do? Are you ready to commit to recovery? “Your orthopedic surgeon will help you weigh any age consideration with the potential gains in quality of life,” Dr. Mutchler said. “You will know if the time is right.”
Anita Harrison is the assistant manager for lake Regional Public Relations. She can be reached at 573-302-2770 or by email at aharrison@lakeregional.com
Marijuana is now legal in Missouri –both for medicinal and recreational use. That means more people may have edibles in their homes, vehicles or purses, and that can pose a danger to kids.
Calls to poison control centers about children ages 5 and younger consuming edibles containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, increased almost 1,400 percent during the past five years, and 98 percent of those children found the edibles at home.
“Many of these products look just like candy, baked goods or familiar drinks,” said Becky Spain, Mercy injury prevention specialist and Safe Kids coordinator.
“Kids – especially those who can’t read –may have no idea they contain marijuana. It can take an hour or more for them to feel any effects and by then, they may have consumed multiple doses.”
Those effects can last six to eight hours, and because of a child’s size and weight, they are at a higher risk of overdose.
“We are seeing so many children come in that show signs of overdose,” Dr. Diane Lipscomb, Mercy pediatric intensive care physician, said. “The signs range from just feeling woozy to patients who are altered to the point they actually need help in an intensive
care setting and are put on ventilators.”
Older children may get into their edibles on purpose, but they too can experience unexpected side effects.
“It often takes more than an hour to feel the effects of an edible,” Spain explained. “We see teens consume one and when nothing happens, they take another. That can get dangerous quickly.”
Lipscomb agrees.
“The levels can end up being toxic. And don’t forget, these children are still growing, and their brains are developing,” she said. “Marijuana edibles can impact their growth and development.”
There are ways you can protect the young people in your life.
“Keep cannabis products in their original packaging and store them on a high shelf in a medication lockbox,” Spain said. “Also, don’t consume cannabis products in front of children, because they like to mimic adults.”
Also, you don’t know what other adults may have in their homes, purses or vehicles, so tell your kids never to eat anything that looks like candy or treats without first getting an adult’s permission.
Sonya Kullmann is the media relations and communications manager for Mercy Health.
The LaRose Dexter Ranch is 80 acres north of Blue Eye, Mo. The ranch is owned by Al and Carole LaRose of Houston, Texas, and general manager Mike Kleier and livestock manager Paul Meyer lead the day-to-day operations.
The pair said LaRose Ranch is developing plans for expansion as they work diligently to select, create and grow a quality herd.
The Dexter cattle breed originated in the County Kerry region of southwestern Ireland. Rural County Kerry is home to stunning natural landscapes. It is famous for its rugged terrain, Neolithic monuments, medieval castles, the island Skellig Michael, where Luke Skywalker “lived” in Starwars: The Last Jedi and, allegedly, the world’s oldest footprints. Much of the sturdiness and efficient grazing characteristics valued in the Dexter breed today were developed early and over time. Essentially, without shelter, the cattle foraged the sparse and sometimes inhospitable Irish countryside.
Dexters were introduced to the United States in the early 1900s. Today, the breed is found in all regions of the U.S. Dexters remain multi-purpose cattle that produce
excellent beef and milk with high solid content for excellent butter and cheeses. Although the two primary strains of Dexter cattle are raised for beef or milk, according to the American Dexter Cattle Association (ADCA), farms and ranches in the U.S. still use Dexters as draft animals. Dexter cattle are frequently described as “solid and compact” in appearance. Most are black, though red has become desirable, and duns also occur. The LaRose herd was built only to produce red cattle.
In his research to find the cattle the owners wanted to develop the LaRose Dexter herd, Paul said one of the best contacts he made was with recognized and award-winning breeder Barbara Netti of Legend Rock Ranch in San Antonio, Texas. She was formerly on the ADCA pedigree and genetics panel and a winner of the coveted Talisman Award for her “honesty, integrity, and faithfulness” to the Dexter breed.
Paul acknowledges Netti as being extremely helpful in guiding the LaRose Ranch to the select cattle they were looking for to es-
tablish their operation.
“We went all over the country to find these cows,” Paul said. “We’ve got a special herd that only breeds and reproduces themselves now. Our main reason for going with the Dexters was the meat quality and their friendliness.”
Dexters are also renowned for a high-fertility rate and few calving difficulties. Paul underscored these characteristics in the recent LaRose Ranch experience. Of the 20 calves thus far produced at the LaRose Ranch, all went flawlessly with one minor exception. The ranch managers had to help one cow deliver last winter, but both cow and calf survived and are healthy, although the cow, for a time, subsequently displayed signs of strain from that birthing.
Cattle purchased by LaRose Ranch were chosen to ensure homozygous polled cattle devoid of any undesirable genes found in the breed. The LaRose Dexters are guaranteed not to carry chondrodysplasia or pulmonary hypoplasia with anasarca (PHA).
“They all have A2A2 protein milk,” Paul said.
Along with their two breeding bulls, the LaRose herd currently contains 28 head.
The base LaRose herd was developed with cattle from Nevada, Indiana, Texas and Tennessee. Their prize bull, FF Freedom’s Friday Knight — the Reserve Grand Champion at the 2019 Florida State Fair – was purchased from Freedom Farms in Loudon, Tenn.
“(Freedom Farms) still has over 3,000 straws on him,” Paul said.
LaRose Ranch also purchased a bull from Skip and Connie Tinney of Tinney’s Red Dexters in Fair Grove, Mo., to ensure they have quality and diverse genetics. LaRose has a show-quality cow (FF Singin the Blues) also obtained from the Tinney herd. Her calf (Billbrey’s Coco) took first place in her class at the Missouri Dexter Breeder’s Association Fall Classic last year in Marshfield, Mo.
“We don’t have any place we market our cattle to at this point,” Paul said.
Of the eight bulls born into the herd this year, all but one will be offered for sale whether as breeding bulls or steers.
They plan to be more aggressive with marketing in the future, but the animals they have sold are those that, in their
view, are not shaping their herd in the direction they want. They have sold some steers and bulls to maintain a manageable ratio of bulls to cows. All their females are bred to calve early in the year.
As regards feeding and nutrition, the LaRose Ranch grows its hay on the property. They put up 90 round bales last year. They supplement the herd’s diet with MFA 14 percent Stock Grower NM pellets. Pastures grow a mixture of fescue, rye and orchardgrasses. Because Dexters are such good grazers, supplemental feeding is only minimally necessary.
“The one thing I can say about these Dexters is that they are very kind to the land,” Paul said. “They don’t take the grass down as severely as other animals.”
The cattle are seasonally rotated onto different areas of the ranch. Meyer noted that the Dexters do not overeat. Adding to the quality of the end product, in their approach, is the quality of the water the cattle consume. An important aspect of the LaRose Ranch protocols is a diligent routine of regularly cleaning the stock water tanks. They do not allow the tanks to get dirty or laden with algae or other impurities.
The LaRose Ranch owners are also expanding the Blue Eye operations into raising horses. Currently, Al and Carole are partners in a stable of Thoroughbreds, and just this spring, their entries won races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., and at Turfway Park in Florence, KY. In the LaRose Ranch’s continuing efforts to deepen the equestrian aspects of their businesses also recently acquired a reining Quarter Horse (Blue Eyed Whiz) that, as a 2-year-old, has only been under saddle minimally to date.
As far as the future of the LaRose Dexters is concerned, the focus remains on the continuous development of a highly-refined herd of registered cattle. The owners have considered acquiring additional acreage to grow their base of operations as they find success. Paul also expects to again do some selective purchasing to continue refining the quality of the herd, which Al and Carole want to be the highest-quality herd possible.
“People who come here (and buy a LaRose Dexter) can be guaranteed an animal that will improve their herd,” Paul said.
Age: 16
Hometown: St. James
Parents: Brian and Renae
Engelmeier
Sibling: Alivia Engelmeier
FFA Chapter: St. James FFA
Advisors: Tim Davis and Trish Watson
What is your involve- ment in agriculture?
“I began my own swine production back in 2012/2013. I wanted to start raising show-quality pigs for the other 4-H and FFA members to afford. I also like raising pigs to sell and helping other 4-H and FFA members to learn how to care for them and show them. My farm is called Little Rainey’s Farm. I get to pass my skills along to others.”
What is your favorite part of being involved in agriculture/ living on a farm?
“I get to meet new people and build relationships with other farming community families and businesses and pass along my skills I have learned. I like to see my animals grow and change on the farm before seeing their rend results at the fairgrounds and sow arenas.”
What are your future plans?
“After high school, I plan to attend college where I can become a game warden/conservation agent, so I can be involved in wildlife and still be connected to agriculture experiences. I also plan to continue to have my own farm and raise pigs for my community 4-H and FFA members.”
Awards: Greenhand President (2021-2022); FFA Chaplin (2023); Missouri Farm Bureau MOASK-IRC-Meat Evaluation Award; third-place Beginning Ownership Award (2022), Swine Facility Management Award; SAE Grant (2022) for swine project; and Missouri Agribusiness Academy (2023).
Saturday MAY 6
may 6-13, 2023 • bolivar, mo
• Missouri Beef Days Block PartyCornhole Tournament, Beef Cook-O , Food Trucks, Games for Kids
• Junior Livestock Show
• Boots & Bling - dinner, auction, Polk County Cattleman of the Year
Sunday MAY 7
• Cowboy Church with Amanda Radke
• Beef Feed by Polk County Cattlemen
Monday MAY 8
• Ray Archuleta
SBU Mabee Chapel
Tuesday MAY 9
Wednesday MAY 10
Thursday MAY 11
• Temple Grandin
SBU Mabee Chapel
• NextGen Economics Team
SBU Mabee Chapel
• Missouri Beef Days Rodeo Day 1
• Rodeo Market
Friday MAY 12
• Missouri Beef Days Rodeo Day 2
• Rodeo Market
Saturday MAY 13
Beef Demo & Sampling
3-6pm Fri., May 5 & Mon., May 8
Woods Supermarket
• Missouri Beef Days Parade
• Ag Expo
• Concert
Wine & Beef Pairing
Tue., May 9
Whiskey & Beef Pairing
Wed., May 10
4-6pm each day
Silo Ridge Country Club
TUE, MAY 9, 2023
By Lance Albin
When asked about the outlook for agricultural commodities, I simply go back to the most basic economic equation – supply and demand. For many decades, the world has been able to produce more agricultural commodities than what there was demand for. In the past decade, this has fundamentally changed. For each of the three major crops grown in the U.S. (corn, soybeans and wheat) the demand side of the equation has been phenomenally strong and the world now struggles to keep up from the supply side. Until this picture changes significantly, I will remain bullish on all three of these crops. There are certainly nuances and different factors driving each of the different crops, but at a very high level I believe that strong prices will persist for as long as we see this exceptional demand remain in place. World corn production will likely be limited by a potentially weaker-than-usual South American crop as well as reduced total acres due to the relatively high cost of nitrogen. Of the three main crops it appears that for this year corn will likely have the most catalyst to the upside. International demand for U.S. corn was dampened last fall by a very strong U.S. dollar, but the U.S. dollar has come down significantly from it’s highs and this should be very supportive to improve U.S. corn exports in 2023.
Argentina is struggling with their worst drought in over six decades and this is likely supportive for soybean prices in the coming year. This is, however, at least partially offset by a very strong Brazilian crop. Over the intermediate term, the renewable diesel initiatives could prove to be very important in the soybean market as big oil and big ag come together to add what is estimated at over 550 million bushels in new soybean crushing capacity by 2026. Renewable diesel is 100 percent substitutable for traditional diesel and this again is likely very supportive to the soybean market out to the intermediate term.
The wheat market continues to be impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine which unfortunately does not seem likely to be resolved anytime soon. Global supplies remain tight and a good portion of the U.S. wheat acres face drought concerns. A weakening U.S. dollar is also very relevant and helpful to U.S. wheat exports.
On the input side, farmers are glad to see some lower prices on the chemical side, especially for 2-4-D and glyphosate and many believe that most of the drop we would see here has already happened. Fertilizer prices are well of the highs of the spring of 2022 and continued to drop throughout the month of March. Despite these drops, fertilizer remains stubbornly high when compared to the spring of 2021. Energy prices had seen a big reduction with WTI crude oil dipping below $70/barrel but have now jumped back above $80/barrel with the recent OPEC production cuts. Interest rates have become much more of a key consideration with the Prime rate of interest now at 8%. Managing each of these primary inputs will be absolutely key to farm level profitability in 2023.
So, what will 2023 look like for ag producers in the U.S.? I remain optimistic and bullish. Timing of input purchases and crop sales will be key. I’m reminded of my high school algebra teacher who always admonished the class: “if you do something on one side of the equation, be sure to do it on the other side of the equation as well.”
By Cheryl Kepes
The beauty of spring is starting to arrive in the Ozarks along with the hope of many warm days on the horizon. Though there is much goodness that comes with warmer weather it also ushers in pests such as flies and ticks. According to extension entomologists, there are actions producers can take now to ward off large fly and tick infestations in the months to come.
One way to keep flies from proliferating this season is by eliminating environments where they grow the best. “Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, develop in decaying organic matter and do quite well in manure mixed with wasted hay and urine,” Kelly Loftin, Ph.D., professor and extension entomologist with the University of Arkansas, said. “This excellent fly development media may buildup in winter feeding areas if sanitation was not considered from the onset.”
Round bales fed intact can leave behind piles of dirty, leftover hay. If this is the case, extension specialists recommend spreading out the mixture of hay and manure into a thin layer. Once the hay and organic matter dries, it will become a less suitable media for fly development.
what do you say?
Do you insure your livestock?
Both stable flies and house flies develop in piles of hay wastage and organic matter. Extension entomologists recommend producers roll out hay bales during hay feeding season to minimize the possibility of wasted hay and organic matter buildup.
Horn flies and face flies develop in a different way compared to stable flies and house flies. “Horn flies (Haematobia irritans) survive winter as pupae under manure pats and develop only in fresh cattle manure and face flies (Musca autumnalis) survive as adults and develop in fresh cattle manure, so cleaning up wasted hay has minimal effect on horn and face fly breeding,” Loftin explained. Due to the nature of horn and face fly development, extension entomologists recommend producers monitor their animals for signs of horn flies and face flies. Knowing when the pests are present and how many there are, will be the determining factors in initiating pest control protocols. This is also the case for ticks. When it comes to horn and face flies, Dr. Loftin recommends monitoring cattle with the goal of keeping the horn fly abundance below 200 flies per animal and face fly
“I do not. I think it’s a lack on knowledge on my part. I should, but I’ve never been able to get in touch with the right people and find a way to make it work for me.”
Austin Lebahn Wright County, Mo.
numbers below 10 per animal. Additionally, producers should evaluate pest populations throughout the season to determine if their fly control program is effective.
Extension entomologists recommend recording the class of insecticide used to control horn flies and maintaining application records, especially when using insecticide impregnated ear tags. “To combat insecticide resistance in horn flies, switch insecticide classes from year to year,” Loftin advised. “It would be best if you could refrain from using a specific insecticide class for at least two years before returning to that class.”
Flies and ticks can be the source of health concerns in cattle. Biting flies can serve as mechanical vectors of some cattle diseases, such as anaplasmosis. Horn flies are associated with increases in the prevalence of summer mastitis. Face flies are irritants and can mechanically transmit bacteria associated with pinkeye. Additionally, face flies can transmit the eyeworm, a parasitic nematode that infests the eye cavity.
“No. I figure it would be a headache if you were trying to get payment for the animal; it seems like too much trouble.”
Rowdy Mott McDonald County, Mo.Ticks can also be the culprits that spread some diseases to livestock. Along with the concerns posed by native tick species, a new species, the Asian longhorned tick, has been identified in the United States. The Asian longhorned tick is considered a threat to livestock.
“Since its initial discovery in New Jersey in 2017, its confirmed range has expanded to 17 states including three counties in Missouri and two counties in Arkansas,” Loftin explained.
The Asian longhorned tick is unique because it can reproduce without mating. “This form of reproduction is called parthenogenesis where basically engorged, unmated female ticks can lay up to 2,500 eggs that eventually (after a couple of molts) become adult female ticks that can repeat this process,” Loftin stated. “As a result, enormous numbers can occur in the environment and on a host.”
The massive number of ticks that can attach to livestock can cause significant blood loss. The Asian longhorned tick can also infect cattle and other animals with a parasite that affects red and white blood cells resulting in anemia, weakness, jaundice and sometimes death.
“I do insure my cattle. They are worth too much money and I can’t afford to just lose them.”
Kenneth Ragsdale Phelps County, Mo.“We have insurance in case they get out because we live along a major road. It will also cover us if a barn were to catch on fire or if pigs are stolen.”
Preston Walker Jasper County, Mo.Ready or not it’s time to get to work to ward off weeds in pastures before they get out of control. And unfortunately, producers may have more issues with weeds this season than in years past. “Healthy and competitive forage is the first defense against weeds, and the drought really set forages back last year, which could have been compounded by grazing pressure through the winter,”
Hannah Wright-Smith, weed specialist with the University of Arkansas, explained. “So, we will likely see more weeds this year since there is more open ground where the forage isn’t filled in well.”
In addition, weed specialists predict farmers will likely see weeds emerge and start growing before forages have time to make a solid stand this spring, which could make for a long weed control season. However, there are steps producers can take now to keep weeds from taking over their fields.
Start Now: Weed specialists suggest producers start to scout for weeds early and then quickly implement strategies to control them. Additionally, experts recommend devoting part of the farm budget to pay for one herbicide application or fertility this year. “I recommend investing in one herbicide application using a preemergence (PRE) herbicide to prevent weeds from emerging, if possible,” Wright-Smith said. “Pendimethalin (Prowl H2O, Satellite HydroCap) and indaziflam (Rezilon) are effective against many weeds
and will provide several weeks of protection against weeds.”
It’s best to spray weeds early, ideally when the weeds are less than a foot tall. Even if there are strips of weeds coming up in pastures where producers fed lower-quality hay this season, those areas can be treated the same as the weeds in the other parts of their fields. “Weeds can easily infest and take over, but unless there is a really aggressive weed that was introduced by the hay, producers can manage these strips the same as the rest of their field,” Wright-Smith stated. “Keep in mind that it will probably take two or more herbicide applications to carry you through the summer.”
If the weeds aren’t controlled by the herbicide spray, then the weeds should be mowed in order to keep them from going to seed. The weeds should be mowed just before or right after the seed head forms.
Calibrate Sprayer: Before produc-
ers spend the time and money to spray herbicides its beneficial to get the sprayer calibrated. County agents as well as online resources can help producers determine the best way to calibrate their boom and boomless sprayers. When the sprayer is calibrated, it ensures producers are applying the right amount of product. Otherwise, producers maybe be wasting money by over-applying or under-applying the herbicides.
Test Soil: Though it may not be something producers would typically consider as necessary for weed prevention, weed specialists recommend starting the process with a soil test. “Fertility is often overlooked in pastures, but with every hay cutting or grazing, nutrients are removed and must be replaced. And no, cow patties do not count,” Wright-Smith said. “The best defense is a good offense and that starts with giving your forage what it needs to be healthy and competitive.”
Whether a producer favors a designated breeding season or a year-round approach, there are advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind when choosing which management strategy to follow.
In some respects, implementing a breeding season creates convenience in processing and weaning compared to year-round breeding.
“I like the idea of actually having a very tight breeding season – 60 to 70 days in total length,” Bruce Peverley, Nowata and Craig County Extension Educator with Oklahoma State University, explained. “The reason I prefer that is that I am going to have a more uniform calf crop. When I work or process cows and calves, I have a much larger chance of being able to gather all of them at one time, so I don’t have to regather.”
Additionally, in a breeding season system all the calves can be weaned at the same time. This saves time and labor.
Another aspect realized is one that can impact a producer’s pocketbook. Consider what happens as the calving window starts to stretch further and further between calves.
“Calves nursing a cow will typically gain about 2 pounds a day while they are on the cow. The later they are born in the breeding season the lighter they are going to be,” Peverley said.
Producers managing toward a herd
that produces large, uniform groups of calves can snag higher premiums. Calves grouped together by size and sold in larger groups gain a price advantage.
Operating with a tight calving window can provide some opportunities to gain efficiencies.
“When we are in critical times, like calving, we can at least, in theory, provide more time and labor as needed to get a more successful calving rate as opposed to being strung over a longer period of time,” Peverley said.
The longer a calving season is stretched out the more of a chance a producer may miss a cow when she might need help.
Some producers manage following the old saying, “I will take rain or a calf any day.”
The proponents of year-round calving appreciate the convenience of leaving in a bull with their cows. They consider it less management and hold to the philosophy of when the cow is ready to breed it will happen.
However, in a year-round breeding system producers can more easily lose track of some of the cows’ production cycles. For example, some cows may calve every 365 days but there may be
some cows in the herd that don’t calve until 14 months. A year-round breeding season requires continual tracking.
On the other hand, producers who utilize a tight breeding season, may have some cows that fail to breed during the designated timeframe for whatever reason. There are cows that simply may not fit into the established breeding season system.
Producers who calve throughout the year may manage cows and calves that are in different stages of production in the same pasture. If spring and fall calvers are all in the same pasture, then it makes it more difficult to determine how to feed the entire group.
“When it comes to supplying nutrition, usually one group is going to be dry and one group is going to be wet,” Peverley said. “So, who do we feed for?
Do we feed the dry cows and cheat the lactating cows or vice-versa? I have trouble seeing that as a very effective system.”
When determining what works best for a particular operation extension specialists recommend looking at forage and weather patterns.
The forage available when calves are on the ground should be considered, as well as the weather temperatures when it is time for the momma cows to bred back.
“There are a lot of factors and concerns we want to look at and they are also tied to the management that the producer wants to put into it,” Peverley said.
By Cheryl Kepes
Whether it’s a hobby or full-time job, farmers may want to explore adding farm liability coverage to their insurance policy. Farm liability insurance protects farmers and their assets from lawsuits associated with an accident that results in bodily injury and/ or property damage to someone else. “If you are deemed by Missouri statutes to be liable through negligence or careless acts your liability (farm liability insurance) is going to cover those types of incidents,” Les Mallard, owner of Les Mallard Insurance LLC in Fair Grove, Mo., explained.
Liability Coverage: The circumstances in which producers would need farm liability insurance include a wide range of incidents. For example, if some of a producer’s cattle get out into the road and cause a car accident. Or if someone gets injured while on a producer’s farm. Another example includes if a producer is driving farm machinery on the road and causes in an accident. These are just a few situations in which farmers will need liability coverage if they are found negligent. If the incidents that occur are connected to the farming operation or farming activity, then only farm liability insurance will cover the costs. Liability coverage connected to a regular homeowners policy will not protect farmers in farm related incidents. Insurance agents recommend farmers,
no matter how big or small their operation, get farm liability coverage. “My opinion is farmers should definitely purchase farm liability coverage,” Mallard said. “It is just as important as having liability coverage on an automobile or anything else. If you do not have it and something occurs, it is 100 percent on you to pay and if it is a very big suit or claim they can put liens on your assets that you have because you are obligated to pay it if the judgment goes against you.”
Farm liability coverage will pay for any costs associated with the incident in which the farmer is deemed liable. This includes settlement amounts, court costs and attorney’s fees. Typically, there are no deductibles associated with farm liability claims.
Think Ahead: One thing to keep in mind is even the smallest of farming operations may want to consider adding farm liability coverage. Take for instance a family living on a small acreage decides to purchase a calf for their child for a 4-H or FFA project. Even that one head needs the special coverage, because it would not be covered under a typical homeowners policy. “Some people will not think about that, but they are leaving themselves exposed to some gaps in coverage by not having the farm liability situation covered,” Mallard added.
In addition, Mallard suggests when
updating or getting their insurance coverage people should think about their future plans. Even if they currently don’t have any livestock, they should consider adding farm liability to their policy if they are planning to have livestock in the near future. “If they have any intent down the road, it’s an inexpensive precaution to put it on now in case they add livestock later,” Mallard said.
The specific liability policy needed depends on the type of operation. Hobby farmers can obtain different coverage than producers with commercial operations. Full-time farmers typically have a commercial farm policy that includes liability coverage. However, hobby farmers can add the farm liability coverage to their homeowners’ policy, which then converts the policy into a farm owners policy.
Keep in mind, not all insurance companies will offer coverage for farming operations. Producers may want to call their insurance agent to make sure they have the proper coverage for their particular operation.
1st Monday of Every Month – Clover Coffee – 8:30-10 a.m. – Newton County Extension Office, Neosho, Mo. – for more information call 417-455-9500
April 2023
24 Container and Raised Bed Gardening Workshop – 6-8 p.m. – Polk County Fairgrounds, Bolivar, Mo. – no cost to attend – to register call 417-326-4916
25 Container Gardening – 10:30 a.m. – Taneyhills Community Library, Branson, Mo. – free class – for more information visit mgozarks.com
25 Rural Health Education Resilience Lecture Series – 11 a.m.-noon – Online via Zoom – Cost: Free – for more information 573-882-5918 or mcdowellm@missouri.edu
26 Barn Quilt Class – 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – Osceola Library, Osceola, Mo. – 417-646-2419
26 Free Biosecurity Workshop for Livestock & Poultry Operations (including Backyard Flocks) – 10 a.m.-3:15 p.m. – MO Beef Farm, Columbia, Mo. – for questions contact Lim at 573-882-9519 or LimT@missouri.edu – register online at biosecurity.missouri.edu
26-28 Howell County Grazing School – West Plains, Mo. – to register call 417-256-2391
27 Container & Raised Bed Gardening – 5:30-7 p.m. – Pulaski County Court House Community Room, Waynesville, Mo. – register online go.ozarksfn.com/wig
28 Barn Quilt Classes – 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – Former Dollar General Building, 22126 US Hwy 54, Hermitage, Mo. – to register call 417-745-6767
28 Free Mobile Health Screenings – No insurance needed, walk-ins welcome! – 3-6 p.m. – 24885 Highway 254, Hermitage, Mo. – 573-480-5984 or ccoffman@missouri.edu or rfenton@missouri.edu
28 Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions – Fridays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Online via Zoom – Cost: Free – pre-registration is required – for more information or to register call Emily at 314-400-7298
May 2023
1 Missouri Century Farm Application Deadline – call 573-882-7216
2 Free Biosecurity Workshop for Livestock & Poultry Operations (including Backyard Flocks) – 10 a.m.-3:15 p.m. – Southwest Research Center, Mount Vernon, Mo. – for questions contact Lim at 573-882-9519 or LimT@missouri.edu – register online at biosecurity.missouri.edu
April 2023
28 Express Ranches Annual Grass Time Sale – at the ranch, Yukon, Okla. –405-350-0044
29 Aschermann Akaushi 36th Edition Sale – at the ranch, Carthage, Mo. –417-793-2855
29 18th Annual Great American Pie Limousin & LimFlex Bull & Female Sale –Lebanon, Mo. – 402-350-3447 or 320-287-0751
29 Wienk Charolais 54th Annual Bull Sale – at the ranch, Lake Preston, SD –605-860-0505 or 605-203-0137
May 2023
1 Gardiner Angus Ranch 8th Annual Meating Demand Bull Sale – at the ranch, Ashland, Kan. – 620-635-2156
6 Coyote Hills Ranch Annual Limousin & Lim-Flex Production Sale – at the ranch, Chattanooga, Okla. – 580-597-3006
6 Heartland Highland Cattle Association 12th Annual Spring Highland Cattle Auction – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. –417-345-0575 or 309-251-5832
2-3 Distillation Workshop – Missouri State University Winery and Distillery, Mountain Grove, Mo. – Limited to 8 participants – for questions 417-547-7516 or LeslieAkers@missouri.edu – register online at go.ozarksfn.com/o4j
2 Pasture Weed & Livestock Fly Control Workshop – 4-6 p.m. – Gainesville Lions Club Building, Gainesville, Mo. – Cost: Free – for more information 417-256-2391 or kenyons@missouri.edu – register at go.ozarksfn.com/l1d or 417-679-3525
4 Free Biosecurity Workshop for Livestock & Poultry Operations (including Backyard Flocks) – 10 a.m.-3:15 p.m. – State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, Mo. – for questions contact Lim at 573-882-9519 or LimT@missouri.edu – register online at biosecurity.missouri.edu
6-13 Missouri Beef Days – Bolivar, Mo. – missouribeefdays.com
8-10 Hickory County West Central Grazing School – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – MU Extension Office, Hermitage, Mo. – register by May 1 – 417-745-6767 or wheelerjr@missouri.edu
8-10 Wright County Grazing School – Hartville, Mo. – to register call 417-741-6195 ext. 3 or carol.ellis@swcd.mo.gov
10 Missouri Steer Feedout Entry Deadline – for more information call 417-276-3313
10 Private Pesticide Applicator Training – Online via Zoom – for more information 660-895-5123 or tatev@umsystem.edu – register at go.ozarksfn.com/mvp
13 Growing Green Education Day and Plant Sale – 8 a.m.-noon – Rolla Downtown Farmer’s Market, Rolla, Mo. – 573-458-6260
13 Long Lane Lions Club Cattle Show – 10 a.m. – Open to Youth ages 5-21 – Entry Fee: $5 per head – 25 Park Trail, Long Lane, Mo. – call or text for more information 417-533-2627
13 Missouri Sheep Producer Field Day – 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. – MU Beef Research & Teaching Center, Columbia, Mo. – Cost: Free – for more information naumannhd@missouri.edu or 573-882-9896 – register online at https://extension.missouri.edu/events/missouri-sheep-producer-field-day
13 Missouri Waster Pesticide Collection Event – Crane, Mo. – for more information call 573-751-0616
16 “Morning in the Garden” Gardening Series “Japanese Maples” – Free class – 10 a.m. – Taney County MU Extension Gardeners Demonstration Garden, Forsyth, Mo. – 417-546-4431 or taneyco@missouri.edu
16-18 Missouri Tomato School – for more information and to register visit http://muext.us/MoTomatoSchool2023
6 Soaring Eagle of the Ozarks Female Sale – Soaring Eagle Sale Facility, Springfield, Mo. – 417-839-1200
7 JD Bellis Family Herefords Three Generations Raising No Excuse Herefords Production Sale – at the Farm, Aurora, Mo. – 417-466-8679
12 GDD Angus & Combined Forces Female Sale – Kingsville, Mo. – 423-426-2986 or 816-500-2362
13 Mead Farms Female & Bull Production Sale – Mead Sale Headquarters, Versailles, Mo. – 573-216-0210 or 573-302-7011
13 The Summit Sale of 2023 – P Bar S Ranch Sale Headquarters, Sand Springs, Okla.– 615-330-2735 or 402-350-3447
19 Show Me Select Replacement Heifer Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo. – 417-276-3313 or 417-345-7551
20 Wilder Family Limousin Springtime Spectacular Sale – Milam County Livestock Auction, Cameron, Texas –402-350-3447 or 979-268-5491
27 National Braunvieh Field Day – McBee Cattle Company, Fayette, Mo. –573-228-2517
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
4/29 28th Annual Farm & Ranch Equipment
Consignment Auction – Bolivar, Mo. • Diamond S Auction Real Estate Company
4/29 Justin Loehr Estate Auction – Weaubleau, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com •
See Our Ad on Page 34
4/29 Tommy Spurgeon Estate Auction – Lowry City, Mo. • Wade Auction Service
5/6 Lendell & Pat Voris Estate Auction –Halfway, Mo. • Bruce & Le’AN Auction & Appraisal LLC
5/6 May Machinery Consignment Auction –Warsaw, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice. com • See Our Ad on Page 34
5/6 Patton Farm Auction – Hume, Mo. • Curtis and Sons Auction Service
5/6 Trailers, Tractor, Tools, Guns & More Auction – Morrisville, Mo. • Melton Auction & Realty Co., LLC
5/13 Jim and Gerda Fitz Real Estate Auction – Hermitage, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 34
5/27 Robert Summers Estate Auction – Brighton, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 34
5/10 Darrell & Dorothy Harrill Real Estate Auction – Lebanon, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 34
5/20 Robert & Kay Plummer Estate Auction – Lebanon, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 34
4/22 Blankenship Estate Auction – Rogersville, Mo. • Glenworth Auction & Realty, 417767-4345, glenworth.com • See Our Ad on Page 35
5/6 Estate Auction – Verona, Mo. • McKnight Auction Company LLC
5/13 Guns, Tools, Furniture & More Auction
4/26 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes 4/26 at 10 a.m. • Big Iron Auctions, 1-800-937-3558, bigiron.com • See Our Ad on Page 12
4/27 Online Equipment Auction – Tulsa, Okla. • Sexton Auctioneers
4/27 Online Equipment Liquidations Auction
– Little Rock, Ark. • Sexton Auctioneers
4/29 Absolute Moniteau County Real Estate & Personal Property Auction – California, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
4/29 Lyle Browning Estate Gun Auction –Sedalia, Mo. • Johnson Auction Service
4/29 Schilb Estate Auction – Sedalia, Mo. • Dick Hutchison Auction and Real Estate LLC
4/30 Helling 34th Annual Farm Consignment Auction – Leslie, Mo. • Hellings Farm Auction
5/3 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes 5/3 at 10 a.m. • Big Iron Auctions, 1-800-937-3558, bigiron.com • See Our Ad on Page 12
– Branson West, Mo.
• Melton Auction & Realty Co., LLC
4/28 Farm Equipment & Gun Auction –Houston, Mo. • Rick Dixon Auctions
4/29 137 Acre Farm & Personal Property Auction – Marsh eld, Mo. • Chadwell Auctions LLC
4/29 Richard Dinwiddie Real Estate Auction
– Marsh eld, Mo. • Glenworth Auction & Realty, 417-767-4345, glenworth.com
• See Our Ad on Page 35
5/13 Annual Equipment Consignment Auction
– Houston, Mo. • Scheets Auctions LLC
—
4/22 334 + Acres with 3 Ponds & 5,631 sq. ft. Custom Built Home Ranch Auction –Lincoln, Ark. • Auction Management Group
4/24 Farm Equipment Online Auction – bidding closes 4/24 at 3 p.m. – Mickey Duckett
Professional Auctioneer & Appraiser
4/26 Callaway County Real Estate Auction –Mokane, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
5/10 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes 5/10 at 10 a.m. • Big Iron
Auctions, 1-800-937-3558, bigiron.com •
See Our Ad on Page 12
5/17 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes 5/17 at 10 a.m. • Big Iron
Auctions, 1-800-937-3558, bigiron.com •
See Our Ad on Page 12
— ANGUS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457brucembradley@hotmail.com
Double H Ranch - Ava, MO -
816-896-4600
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
Menzies Cattle CompanyMarshfield, MO - 417-425-5659
- jmenzies79@gmail.com
Pitts Angus Farms - Hermitage, MO417-399-3131www.pittsangusfarms.com
— BALANCERS —
B/F Cattle Company - Butler, MO660-492-2808
Hilltop Farms - Asbury, MO -
417-842-3225 - 417-529-0081 - 417-529-7556
— BRANGUS —
Horsehead Ranch - Talala, Okla. - 918-695-2357www.HorseheadRanch.net
— CHAROLAIS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457brucembradley@hotmail.com
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO -
573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
— GELBVIEH —
Hilltop Farms - Asbury, MO -
417-842-3225 - 417-529-0081
- 417-529-7556
— HEREFORDS —
Jim D. Bellis - Aurora, MO -
417-678-5467 - 417-466-8679
Journagan Ranch - Mtn. Grove, MO - 417-838-1482
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO -
573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
Menzies Cattle CompanyMarshfield, MO - 417-425-5659 - jmenzies79@gmail.com
— LIMOUSIN —
Glendenning J Bar J RanchLebanon, MO - 417-588-6121
- 417-664-0913 - 417-664-1186
- jack@jbarjlimousin.comwww.jbarjlimousin.com
Minor Limousin - Strafford, MO
417-576-6364 - 443-605-6127www.minorlimousin.com
— RED ANGUS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457brucembradley@hotmail.com
Dunseth Farm - Halfway, MO417-445-2256
Watkins Cattle CompanyHarrison, AR - 870-741-9795 –870-688-1232 –watkinscattleco@windstream.net
— SALERS —
Dunseth Farm - Halfway, MO417-445-2256
— ULTRABLACK —
Horsehead Ranch - Talala,
Roofing
Overhead Doors • Windows, Etc,… Serving the Metal Building Industry 8327 Lawrence County Ave. LaRussell, MO 64848 417-246-5335
800-246-5335
Saturday, May 6, 2023 • 10:00 AM
Elkhead Ranch - Miller’s HC 66 Box 204 • Bruner, MO 65620
FARM EQUIPMENT & FARM MISC.: 2010 7130 Premium John Deere Tractor w/741 SelfLeveling Loader • 2010 Bale King 300 Hay Processor • 2017 New Holland H7330 Discbine • AX 20ft John Deere Batwing Brush Hog w/Chains, Like New • 3610 10ft Bush Hog Brand Cutter, Triple Gear Box • 12’ Box Blade • 12ft x 42” Field Roller • Frontier 8ft Blade Hyd Tilt & Angle • Level Welding heavy duty self feeders, 650 bushels, 14’ bunks, 12,000 lb axles, on flotation tires. Quantity 3 • Also 2/6 Ton, 2/4 Ton, 2/7 Ton • 555 Ford Backhoe Diesel • Quick Attach 3 Point • 3 Point Broadcast Spreader • My-D Han-D Cube Feeder • John Deere 7000 4 Row Planter w/Monitor • 3 Point Mister/Blower Sprayer • 3610 Bush Hog
• Miller Offset Tandem Disc 10ft • 3 Point 10ft Chisel Plow • 3 Point
Cultivator 12ft
• 500 Gallon Jet Sprayer, On Trailer PTO • 4 24x24
Culverts Gates • 4 Ton Feeder w/Gates • 6x6 Net Wrap Hay Bales • Livestock Medicine • Salt Feeder • 1988 Top Kick 2 Ton Diesel Truck
• Dan Houser Post Hold Logger 3 Point • (2) 4x6 Steel Sheets
SKID STEERS & ATTACHMENTS, VEHICLES & UTV’S: 2011 T770
Skid Steer/Heat & Air Cab/2300 Hours
Bucket
• 78” Quick Attach Grapple
• Quick Attach Heavy Duty Brush Hog 72” • Quick Attach
Hydraulic Breaker Hammer Pounder • 2013 King Ranch Pickup/V6/ Ecoboost 4x4
• Dodge Pickup V10 4x4, Automatic, Single Wheel • 1970 Ford 350 Ranger/Manual 4 Speed/ V8/ Dually • 1000 Kawasaki
Pro 4x4
4x4 500
• 3010 Kawasaki Side by Side Diesel 4x4
• Polaris Ranger
• Grasshopper Zero Turn Mower, 61”, Newer Motor • 12’
Trailer Bumper • Miller Bobcat 250 Welder Generator, 1789 Hours
TOOLS & SHOP EQUIPMENT: Assorted Hand Tools • Work Bench
Tool Box • Dewalt Air Compressor • Porter Cable Drill Press • Bench
Grinder & Stand
• Hydraulic Floor Jack • Shop Fan • Chop Saw • Stihl Concrete Saw TS420
• 3/8x1/2 Cables
• Concrete Saw • Gas Powered Pounder
• Cherry Picker • Lincoln 220 Welder w/Steel
Welding Table • 25 7” Steel Posts • 125 6” Steel Posts • 7 Rolls Of New Barb Wire
FURNITURE & APPLIANCES: 2 Double Recliner Sets • 2 Leather
Love Seats w/Recl • 4 Bar Stools • Bar Table & 4 Stools • Red Iron Table & Chairs • Like New Recliner Chair • Dinette Table & Chairs
• Leather Bench • Dresser w/Mirror • Like New Full Recliner Sofa
• Stainless Steel Storage Shelf • 4 Door Storage Cabinet • Side by Side Refrigerator • Up Down Refrigerator • Commercial Stainless Steel Sink • (2) Chest
As an extension of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), the Food and Drug Administration has added prescription-only rules for injectable, oral (bolus and liquid) and mastitis treatment forms of the same antibiotic classes included in earlier regulations.
That means there’s an even greater need for livestock producers to focus on enhanced disease prevention efforts and antibiotic alternatives. Good, complete nutrition, environmental management, low-stress animal handling, herd biosecurity, proper vaccine and parasite control programs, and timely use of products with MFA’s Shield Technology may lessen the need for antibiotics and help them work better when they are needed.
Take action today to make this next regulatory transition as smooth as possible and keep your herd healthy and high performing.
Ash Grove - 417-751-2433
MFA Agri Services
Aurora - 417-678-3244
Coop Assn. #86
Bolivar - 417-326-5231
Farmers Exchange
Buffalo - 417-345-2121
Farmers Exchange
Cassville - 417-847-3115
MFA Agri Services
Fair Grove - 417-759-2525
Farmers Exchange
Golden City - 417-537-4711
MFA Agri Services
Lamar - 417-682-5300
MFA Agri Services
Lebanon - 417-532-3174
MFA Farmers Produce EX #139
Lowry City - 417-644-2218
Farmers Exchange
Marshfield - 417-468-2115
MFA Agri Services
Mt. Vernon - 417-466-3752
MFA Agri Services
Ozark - 417-581-3523
MFA Agri Services
Stockton - 417-276-5111
Farmers Exchange
Urbana - 417-993-4622
Farmers Exchange
Weaubleau - 417-428-3336
Farmers Exchange
Many antibiotic medications previously available over the counter will require veterinary prescription.