Farm & Ranch
[AgriLife Today] Transitioning cropland to pastureland in Rolling Plains requires multi-year planning
Some Rolling Plains’ producers are considering converting their cropland to a forage/pasture system. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)
By: Kay Ledbetter
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contacts: Stan Bevers, 940-552-9941, [email protected]
VERNON – A growing interest in shifting out of crop production and into a forage-based system in the Rolling Plains has Stan Bevers, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist in Vernon, consulting his crystal ball.
And he has some advice for those who are contemplating the move, “Have a multi-year plan and have a chunk of equity, because you can’t borrow your way through this.”
He said there are a lot of variables and a lot of factors involved in the transition. And while he has seen a number of acres go into pasture over the past two years at the peak of the cattle market, things are changing.
“I think there were people thinking there wouldn’t be another bad day in cattle,” he said. “They have quickly found out there will be.
“You have to have a multi-year plan, because no one can predict prices and production levels. This forces you to consider what might happen.”
What are the projections for calf prices in the next few years? And what about wheat prices; how long will there be below break-even-point wheat prices?
“With the cattle prices that have been projected for the next few years, transitioning doesn’t look like a good option, especially with wheat prices expected to move up over the next five years.”
Bevers said it has been a combination of the continual increase of input prices and market happenings – high beef cattle prices for several years and falling wheat prices – that have prompted the move by producers out of annual production and into a more permanent pasture situation.
“In areas such as the Rolling Plains where there is marginal crop production, specifically on wheat where costs of production have consistently been rising and the price falling, the average production of 20 bushels per acre just doesn’t work anymore,” he said. “We can even go to the $5 to $5.50-a-bushel wheat and still not make it work.
“So now we have producers saying they are willing to bear the one-time pain – the cost of putting in a permanent pasture — rather than the annual pain of the cost of putting in wheat,” Bevers said.
The problem, he said, is the cost of establishing a pasture is only the first step in the change to a forage-based system. Once the pasture is established, they have another pain to bear – determining whether to run cows or put stocker cattle on it.
“You need to be able to fund that with a chunk of equity. If you have to borrow the money to seed the grass and then borrow more to stock it with cattle, the way it is penciling out, you won’t have that paid off on a five-year note.”
Run the numbers; create a multi-year plan, he advised.
“This isn’t something you will do overnight,” Bevers said. “It will be a two- and three-year process. You usually don’t get 100 percent utilization the first year or two, so have an alternate plan.”
And while the prognosis for the future may not look good right now, he said the one given is that things will change.
“Considering the projections I’ve seen, everybody would be giving up right now,” said. “But something is going to change. It might be that there is a drought that will cause wheat prices to go higher, or things get worse and other producers get out, causing less production and forcing prices to go higher.”
In planning, he said, producers should be prepared for best-case and worst–case scenarios.
“If you are going to do this, you have to have a plan and recognize the amount of equity you have available to do this.”
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Country Lifestyles
Wichita Falls Area Cattlewomen
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Grazing North Texas: Managing Old World Bluestems
By: Tony Dean
Since their introduction to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Old World Bluestems such as King Ranch bluestem and Dahl bluestem have become established on farms and ranches from the Rio Grande to Nebraska. With such a wide range of adaptability, these species are subjected to a wide range of management, depending on location and the goals of the rancher.
Due to the aggressive nature of OWBs, producers in far South Texas have been trying to find a way to eradicate OWBs in their pastures. Texas AgriLife Extension bulletin “Introduced Bluestem Grasses: Management on Native Lands” describes several methods being used in the effort to rid pastures of OWBs. In 2016, one project involved using chemicals, plowing, mowing, reseeding, summer burning, and combinations of these practices.
To read the about the researchers findings and hear Tony’s take, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile Back At The Ranch
By: Rayford Pullen
Watching our pastures over the years, I have noticed our forages quit growing when nighttime temperatures begin hitting that 45-degree mark, and in North Texas, that will usually be around October 20.
While growth stops, our forages will still be high quality which allows our momma cows to gain weight for another 40 days or so.
Getting these cows in better condition is key to getting them through the winter and breeding after they calve.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
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