Heifer selection is the foundation of a cowherd and without an intentional, thought-out plan for a herd profitability may suffer. Burke Teichert, retired vice president and general manager at Deseret Ranches, said ranchers should first ask if they are selecting for a cowherd or individual heifers.
He further challenges producers to ask themselves if they are selecting for the heiferâs lifetime productivity or the cowherdâs annual or long-term profitability? Next, he wants ranchers to define their big picture goalsâare they after profit or bragging rights?
âIn other words, do we want to have the biggest, prettiest heifers or do we want our whole ranch to be profitable,â Teichert explained. âI hope itâs whole ranch profitability.â
Just before 2020 was concluded, Congress passed H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, to provide coronavirus relief and federal appropriations until Sept. 20, 2021. The package includes a number of priorities championed by Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, aimed at benefiting individuals, families, business and agriculture.
One such program was introduced in July 2020 by Lucas and Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson. The RAMP-UP Act, which established a grant program to help small meat producers make the necessary improvements to meet federal food safety standards and satisfy the meat production disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Lucasâ office, the Consolidated Appropriations Act includes an amended version of the RAMP-UP Act, establishing a $60 million grant program for small meat and poultry processors to upgrade operations in order to move to federal inspection or state inspection programs that allow for the sale of products across state li
There is no question, 2020 has been all over the map, but with this unprecedented year coming to a close, what should agriculture be prepared for in the next decade and how will this yearâs pandemic influence the next 10 years?
âWe have a black swan event about every 10 years, and of course this year it was COVID-19,â said David Kohl, Ph.D. professor emeritus of agricultural finance and small business management at Virginia Tech. âThen weâll usually get two baby black swan events in between, which could be weather events, disease events, etc.â
In 2008 and 2009, the black swan event was the financial crisis, which agriculture did not feel as much because it was going through the great commodity super-cycle. Going back to the turn of century, the black swan event was the meltdown of the high-tech market followed by 9/11.
Kenneth Slagell with one of his Gleaner L2 combines. (Journal photo by Lacey Newlin.)
Most collectors of antique farm machinery collect equipment for historical and personal reasons and never have any intention of using their vintage tractors or combines in the field full time. However, for Kenneth Slagell of Hydro, Oklahoma, his barns of old Gleaner equipment still serve him well in harvesting his crops. At the same time, some of them bring back memories of when they were first brought to the family farm when he was an adolescent decades ago.
Kenneth was born and raised on the farm where he now resides. He attended college in Virginia and from there taught school in Nigeria for three years, then came back to Virginia and taught for another six years before entering the work field of aviation. However, in the summertime he found time to return to Oklahoma and help his family during wheat harvest.
Along with most other events scheduled for 2020, the High Plains Journal-sponsored Cotton U in-person event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event then pivoted to a virtual platform on Dec. 3 in order to provide the cotton growers of the High Plains with the same line-up of industry experts and information packed presentations.
This yearâs event speakers included: Seth Byrd, Oklahoma State University cotton Extension specialist, Dr. Warren Ashley Hammac, soil science/agronomic specialist at Ward Laboratories, John Robinson, professor and Extension economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University and the ever-popular Cotton-U farmer panel.
Robinson took the screen for an informative presentation on the current and future cotton market outlook and risk management considerations. He said in the past cotton prices were controlled by regional markets and trends, but nowadays it is a worldwide enterprise that mimics the rise and fall of other count