Farm & Ranch

Grass seed harvest – ‘WW-B Dahl’ Old World Bluestem

Published

7 years ago

December 12, 2016

NTFR

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)

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

1 week ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.