Friday, March 29, 2024

Monthly Archives: July, 2013

Nose Pumps: An Animal-Powered Watering Option

Lots of folks use streams, springs and ponds to water livestock in pasture.  It can be convenient and easy.  But it's not always the...

Raising Pigs on Pasture

In response to reader requests for information on raising pasture pigs, here is an interview with Karma Glos of Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, NY. These four, beautifully done videos on pastured pigs were created as part of the Cornell Small Farms Video Mentor series as a resource to small and beginning farmers. We love how Karma takes us from farrowing to processing highlighting the things that make life better for the pigs, and easier and more profitable for the farmer.

Left Handed Logic – Figuring per Calf Costs

In this excerpt from his book "Time to Change" Colorado Rancher Chip Hines shows how shifting per cow costs to your saleable animals gives you a whole new look at how to cover costs and make profits.

A Bestselling Book, A Flat Tire, And Remembering What Really Matters

As I type, I’m broken down on a side street in Alexandria, Virginia, a steel bolt the size of my thumb protruding from my...

Points to Ponder as Manure Is Being Applied

While warm, clear weather allows us to get lots of field work done, it is not conducive to retention of ammonia from the manure...

Discover the Cover!

We thought this soil health minute would be helpful to folks thinking about the role that "wasted forage" plays in protecting and improving soils....

It’s OK to Trample!

“Graziers need to get beyond the paralyzing paradigm of wasting grass if we want to be truly sustainable.” Those are the words of Ian Mitchell-Innes,...

Writing a Pasture Lease Contract

No matter how well you know your landowner, never begin a farm lease without a signature on paper! Even if everything seems to be...

Hope In A Jar

It's for sale, and sometimes it comes with a free travel case. Sometimes it will change your life.

Our Farm’s BVD Train Wreck

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus can cause early embryonic death, congential defects and abortion in pregnant cattle, and fever, diarrhea, mouth blisters, and weight loss in infected herd members. APHIS has estimated that it can cost producers $400 per cow if it infects a herd. Here's one farmer's story about surviving its impact.

Spring 2012 the Earliest On Record

By using 112 years of data from weather stations across the US, combined with an understanding of what makes a plant begin to grow, scientists are figuring out how to measure changes in growing seasons.

Are Cattle Grazing and Clean Water Compatible on Public Lands?

Please enjoy another dry story about water, where we tell you science-y stuff and that the answer is, once again, it depends. Don't forget to enjoy the song included in the piece.

Farm Feasibility Analysis Part 2: Spending Money to Make Money

The second part of a complete farm feasibility study is, in a word, money. Before you complete the pasture leasing or buying process, you...

Guide To Starting A Goat Dairy by Carol Delaney

Carol Delaney's "Guide to Starting a Commercial Goat Dairy" is a great book, and a must read for anyone considering starting their own goat...

Knowing Your Site’s Potential Might Save You A Lot of Work

If you manage wide open spaces, you'll want to know about Ecological Sites, and the process of Rangeland Health Assessments. These tools seem complicated at first, but once you're walking through your pasture, you realize it's just a pleasant walk to get to know your pastures and rangeland, so that you can graze them to meet their potential. Thanks to one of our readers for suggesting this topic!

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