News Update

July 12, 2017

Beaches and Beef

Pick any beach on the main Hawaiian Islands on any given Sunday and you’ll likely see tents popped up and lawn chairs dotting the coastline; fishing poles, Frisbees and flip-flops; bikinis, barbecues and beef.

“The family gathering, whether you’re blood family or not, is much more frequent in their culture than in other parts of the country,” says Heidi Schroeder, executive account manager for the Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) brand. “The gathering on the weekends, a ‘party for any reason’ — that celebratory, people coming together and sharing food — is very common.”

Sunshine, turquoise waters and good company provide a nice backdrop. Hawaii’s largest locally owned retailer makes it their mission to add to the ambiance with quality ingredients. In fact, their motto is, “Food, family and friends.”

“The reason we’re here is because we really care about the people of Hawaii, and we want to serve them and be there for them,” says Stacy Waiau-Omori, the company’s vice president of sales and operations.

As part of that commitment, the 33-store chain became a CAB-licensed partner in 2008.

Continue reading this Angus Media news article online.

— Adapted from an article by Miranda Reiman, Certified Angus Beef LLC.

Making Pasture Improvements
Can Increase Digestibility, Enhance Gains

It’s time to start thinking about turning your cattle out to summer grass. Regardless if you own or rent your pasture, it is important to make sure you are getting the most efficient use of your resources.

The first thing to consider is the stocking rate for the specific area where you live. Stocking rate, simply stated, is the number of acres per animal unit (cow-calf pair or steer) it takes to sustain and grow an animal. For example, in the more lush part of the Midwest like Missouri or Illinois, stocking rate might be three or four acres per animal unit month (AUM). However, in the more arid climates of New Mexico, the stocking rate might be 30 acres per AUM.

Kevin Glaubius, director of nutrition and technical sales for BioZyme Inc., says it is important to remember there is no such thing as an average pasture. Plus, he reminds producers that stocking rate and stocking density are two different terminologies.

Whereas, stocking rate is the number of acres per animal unit, stocking density is the amount of weight on the pastureland at a specific time, and is a management term used in more controlled grazing situations.

Read the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by BioZyme Inc.

Strip-grazing Fencing Techniques

For good utilization of turnips or other brassicas, or some of the new cocktail mixes of forage species, it works best if you use portable electric fencing to move the cattle across the field in small strips, according to Tom Larson, who farmed for many years in Nebraska. Larson used polywire, and it worked well.

“This is the key to grazing forage turnips, for example, being able to divide the field into small portions and move the fence daily. I had an 8-acre rectangular field. Along one side I ran a hot wire along the existing fence. Perpendicular to that I ran a polywire to split the field. [The pasture] was about 600 feet (ft.) wide and I’d use 700 feet of polywire, since you don’t want a straight line. It works best if the dividing fence is a bit crooked,” he explains.

To make it simple to move the cows to the next section, always put up the next increment of electric fence (farther into the field) before you take out the old one. This way the cattle are contained in the next portion.

Learn more in the the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Heather Smith Thomas for the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA.

Switch from Fescue to Alfalfa

“Good hay doesn’t have to come over the state line,” said University of Missouri (MU) Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. Plenty of good hay grows in Missouri’s Ozark region.

Cole spoke at the recent MU Extension Alfalfa Tour hosted at the Ash Grove farm of Rick and Justin Williams in Greene County.

“Greene County is in the heart of Missouri agriculture territory,” said MU Extension specialist Tim Schnakenberg. “The county’s rolling hills and large livestock numbers create a strong market for quality alfalfa,” he continued. Schnakenberg works with producers to help them decide whether to grow or buy hay.

According to the latest U.S. census data, the county had $41 million market value of agricultural products sold in 2012, with 83% of that from livestock sales. It is 18th in the state in beef production and 19th in milk production. It ranks 11th in forage production and second in the number of horses. Nearly 50% of the farmland in the county is pastureland.

He said growers with hay equipment see a better return on investment with alfalfa than with fescue.

Read this Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.

— Adapted from an article by Linda Geist, University of Missouri.

Farm Custom Rates Updated in MU Extension Guide

For some jobs, farmers need help. Custom operators provide a wide range of services. The jobs vary from tillage and planting to spreading fertilizer and harvesting grain and hay. Big jobs might be building fence or moving dirt.

A University of Missouri (MU) Extension price guide lists nearly 150 services. The guide, which was updated this past winter, is available free online.

2016 Custom Rates for Farm Services in Missouri (G302) lists prices for most services, says Ray Massey, MU Extension agricultural economist.

The prices come with no guarantee, Massey says. They were compiled from a mail survey across the state. Highs, lows and middle rates are listed.

Not just farmers. but custom providers seek the prices.

“There’s no assurance the average prices cover the actual cost,” Massey says. “They’re a guide.”

The guide was last updated in 2012. “Machinery and labor costs have gone up,” Massey says. “However, fuel costs came down.”

Massey warned that some survey requests drew few responders. The guide lists the number reporting. If that number is low, it may be less reliable than those with many responses.

Continue reading this article online.

— Adapted from an article by Duane Dailey, University of Missouri Extension.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Media.