Keeping beef production local in Pennsylvania by eliminating the need for out of state feedlots is an idea with potential, but also logistical hurdles.
The waiting game is one of the most difficult parts when Oren Smith weans beef calves on his Oak Hill Farm in Avella, Pennsylvania.
Smith raises registered Angus and weans about 70 calves annually. To do so, he takes a conventional approach by simply separating cows and calves, knowing that the next few days will be filled with nonstop bawling.
âItâs not pleasant, but you have to give them time because weaning is just something that has to be done,â he said. âItâs a lot of bawling, but you just wait for it to stop. The mothers are due for a break, and some of them are instinctively ready to move on.â