The time to plant may be now. With weather like we are having, you may think this is a crazy statement, but it is time to sow seed in our pasture and hay fields.

Frost seeding
There is a method called “frost seeding” where you apply seed to the ground and the freezing and thawing of […]

Feeding beef cattle during the winter can be a challenging experience if being profitable is one of your goals. Proper nutrition is a key component for a successful cow/calf operation.
Cows go through many physiological changes during a year. The winter/early spring feeding period is one of the most critical times to provide adequate nutrition […]

Another new year has arrived with the usual mix of interesting weather for livestock producers. As we begin our attempt to keep those New Year’s resolutions, we are constantly faced with challenges and temptations.
I would like to suggest at least one resolution that you attempt to keep this year. That resolution is keeping better […]

Dairy cows fed high-quality forage produce more milk with less supplementation than cows fed lower-quality forage.

Well, that time of year is almost upon us. You know what these coming winter months mean — greasy, slimy, aggravating mud. It makes a mess of your tractor, your livestock, and occasionally, you may have to rescue one of your boots from its miry clutches.
So how do you handle this part of our […]

Now that the time has changed, my thought process has changed to planning for the winter and into next year. I went into a mild panic last weekend when I was feeding thinking I would need a lot more hay than I have. When I went into the house and wrote it down, I realized […]

A small farm livestock owner recently asked me about the benefit of pasture aeration and the application of fertilizer and lime. To answer the question, I had to do some review of studies that investigated pasture aeration and fertilization.
That started me thinking about soil quality, pasture condition and the effect that pasture management might […]

Winter is here, are you ready? The single largest expense of keeping livestock is winter-feeding costs. Livestock owners can reduce and minimize the cost with a little planning.
It sounds strange, but feeding low quality hay now might be a good strategy to reduce winter-feed costs. The reason to feed poor quality hay now is […]

BARNESVILLE, Ohio — The Barnesville Progressive Home Helpers held a meeting Sept. 19 at the Main Street United Methodist Church in Barnesville.

The fair was discussed. This was the last meeting of the club year. The new club year will begin Oct. 10 with a meeting at 10 a.m. at the church and an election of […]

There are a limited number of days left in our growing season here in Ohio and the opportunity to increase your dry matter as stored feed or stockpiled feed before winter is winding down quickly.

The plants your livestock graze the next few weeks will impact those plants’ growth not only now, but possibly next year […]