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 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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