Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere: California – A Summer Night in Sunny California
By Lainey Smith
For California farmers, summertime is harvest season, the most grueling period of the year. Late nights, early mornings and almost no sleep are combined with hand picking fruits, vegetables and running harvest equipment on grain crops like corn, rice and wheat. Some crops, like almonds, have to be shaken, swept, and then further processed by a huller and sheller before going to market. Farmers work around the clock to receive a one-time payout for a year’s worth of hard work.
For the rest of us, we get to enjoy the fruits of their labor, literally. Summertime is my favorite time of year in the California Central Valley. Rich green foliage and uniform rows decorate the roadsides. Homemade fruit stands mark every corner. A large plywood sign with the hand-painted letters “Freshly Picked” and “Open for the Season” invite travelers off the well beaten path.
Wednesday nights on Main Street will overwhelm your senses. A live band plays classic rock, savory smoke rises from a barbecue pit and ripe produce in wooden crates is on display at the farmers’ market. Local farms bring their best crops for the local crowd to try and buy. Neighborhood creameries bring artisan cheese samples while bakeries and restaurants bring signature dishes for dinner and dessert. While everything is fresh and delicious, I pass up the kettle corn and homemade ice cream stands and head straight for the chocolate covered strawberries.
To read more pick up a copy of the August 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
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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