Farm & Ranch

Land Market Report: January Land Sales

Published

1 year ago

March 2, 2023

NTFR

By Jared Groce

January land sales remained very low as a by-product of Q4 of 2022. It takes an average of 30 to 45 days from contract to close for a parcel of land, so we are seeing the leftovers of a very slow December. In fact, these are the lowest numbers I can remember in my 15 years in the land brokerage business.

But, call volume, along with the numbers of showings and contracts written, have increased drastically over the month of January, which should mean a lot more closings in the months of February and March. I expect this trend to continue to increase during the next several months as well as buyers once again get the itch to own their own little piece of dirt in North Texas. I expect that the serious investors who have been sitting on the sideline for the past five to seven months will also come to the realization that the sky is not falling after all, and once again start buying up tracts of land for investment growth as well as a hedge against inflation.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

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.