Life Out Loud: Appliance services
I realize that in light of tragedies such as war, famine and natural disaster, losing three convenience appliances in the space of three days is a First World Problem to have, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.
On the Outdoors: Hunting plans go awry with unexpected obstacles
Every road trip begins with enthusiasm and promise. A good friend and I had planned this outing for months and we anticipated some great waterfowl hunting.
Black Ink: Critical mass in the beef industry
It takes so many plants to make a stand, cows to make a herd and drops to make a rain. Before turning that herd out to pasture, you look for enough plant mass to support their grazing. If you’re watching a couple of bred heifers for a month, you might as well be watching 20 or 30.
Disaster Assistance Programs protect farmers from unforseeble circumstances
Insurance can be a great form of protection for the unforeseeable. The Farm Service Agency offers the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to producers that plant non-insurable crops and suffer a low yield, a loss of inventory, or prevented planting occurs due to a natural disaster.
Think About It: Harvest Time
It seems harvest time came very quickly this year. It was by all means a very unusual summer. Just about the time you made plans to either plant or harvest, we had to deal with rain.
Farm and Food File: Leader-sheep ‘reform’ rings hollow
When Chairman Frank Lucas gaveled the full House Ag Committee to order Oct. 12, aggies who depend on commodity futures markets to price their crops, livestock and dreams might have thought the hearing would center on what its title suggested: "To Review Legislative Proposals Amending Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act." The hearing would do no such thing.
The circle of life marches on
Sometimes life is full of amazing little surprises, though it takes a bit of looking to find the best ones. For those of you who have read my column for many years, you might recall that my family endured a house fire in the winter of 2000.
Scott Shalaway: October concerns include deer
October brings two wildlife concerns to mind -- feeding birds and avoiding deer on the highway.
Life Out Loud: Who cares what ‘they’ think?
People are insufferable. Oh, not taken singularly, of course. One-on-one people are lovely. It's when they go plural you have problems. If there are any two things that can ruin just about any good time it is "people" and "they."
Dairy farmers should analyze their operation closely to ensure profits
The Class III price moved from $21.67/cwt in August to $19.07/cwt in September, a drop of $2.60/cwt. Although a Class III price above $19/cwt would have been a high price just a few years ago, this is no longer the case with current feed prices.
