Farm & Ranch
Cotton in Crisis
By Judy Wade
According to the National Cotton Council, in 2017 Texas farmers planted 6,900,000 acres of cotton and harvested 5,500,000 acres yielding 9,270,000 bales. If two north central Clay County farmers are any indication, those figures will be much less for the 2018 yield.
Dewayne Davis and Johnny Harding are both third generation cotton farmers and share the same findings about the low yield for 2018. “Wet weather prevented us from planting when we usually did, and then the dry spell hit,” according to Harding. Davis agreed, saying, “Dry weather kept the cotton from coming up, and in the places it did, the growth was skippy.”
Harding planted 700 acres and will harvest only about 200 acres. “I plowed the rest under and I’m planting wheat there,” he said.
Davis usually plants about 1,000 acres, but cut back to 600 in 2018, declared 200 disastered and will harvest the remaining 400.
To read more pick up a copy of the January 2019 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Spring has sprung and hopefully the rains will continue where our country will heal from the previous droughts and our grasses will thrive. We are especially hopeful for the Panhandle of Texas where our neighbors and friends have been dealt a deadly blow to homes, ranges, livestock, and people. Keep them in your prayers as they will not be able to return to normal for many years if at all. Having lost their ability to benefit from this great cattle market is a double whammy for all of them.
Now is the time of year when we need to take care of business as it relates to our new calves that have been hitting the ground this spring. First and foremost is vaccinating for Blackleg followed by deworming with a white wormer and the IBR complex. Blackleg is a soil-born disease and with pastures extremely short this spring our calves have been grazing the green grass as soon as it shows itself, making them even more vulnerable to picking contaminates from the soil.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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