Farm & Ranch
Grass seed harvest – ‘WW-B Dahl’ Old World Bluestem
By Jessica Crabtree
On an unusually warm day in October, I visited the Fortenberry brothers on some of their farm country in Slidell, Texas. Brothers Ethan and Bain have been farming together along with their family for years. Both attended college at Texas A & M University obtaining degrees in agronomy. Since they were small, tractors and equipment have been the major interest of the two. It is no surprise that the two came back after college to farm with the family.
Understanding the ends and outs of farming, the brothers are some-what entrepreneurs, always looking to find success in different avenues.
Raising crops and cattle, the two look for opportunities that make them money, a better return for their investment. “Here the soil is black and full of rock. We can’t grow Bermuda with that,” Ethan explained. Growing, cutting and baling hay is a huge portion of the farmer’s production plan. “Hay is hard to grow and after you strip it from the land, you take it away, never putting anything back into the soil,” he added.
While at Texas A&M, the brothers worked for the USDA forage breeding program.
There, Ethan was introduced to the method of harvesting grass seed. Intrigued, Ethan saw it as an opportunity to implement it into his farming program. Four years ago he purchased an old ’80s model John Deere 484 cotton stripper. He had seen how other grass strippers were built and knew the general principle. That’s when the two worked together with their uncle, Les Fortenberry, to develop their own. “Since it was a cotton stripper originally, we had to consider the seed and its size and adapt to it. The interior is lined with grain bags, thick plastic so we can contain as much of the seed as possible,” the farmer said.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2016 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
The Foretenberry brothers, Bain on the left and Ethan on the right. (Photo by Jessica Crabtree)
Showing just how fine the seeds of WW-B Dahl really are. (Photo by Jessica Crabtree)
This photo shows a full stock of the WW-B Dahl. (Photo by Jessica Crabtree)
The base of a healthy stock of WW-B Dahl. (Photo by Jessica Crabtree)
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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