By: Dr. Matthew Garcia, M.S., MBA, PhD | Director, TCU Ranch Management

As agricultural producers, I think there are many times when we are reactive rather than proactive.

We manage a production situation without managing our agricultural system in those scenarios. Agricultural operations are very diverse and made up of multiple resources that are directly linked.

Nothing in our systems operates independently, and a management decision affecting one resource will have subsequent impact on a subsequent upstream of downstream resource.

While I fully understand that situations come up that we must immediately deal with, I think that we are sometimes very reactive and don’t consider the upstream or downstream effects on multiple facets of our operations.

To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

By: Annette Bridges

A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.

“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.

“Precisely!” I thought. Why?

Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.

No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.

To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

By: Tony Dean

Since their introduction to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Old World Bluestems such as King Ranch bluestem and Dahl bluestem have become established on farms and ranches from the Rio Grande to Nebraska. With such a wide range of adaptability, these species are subjected to a wide range of management, depending on location and the goals of the rancher.

Due to the aggressive nature of OWBs, producers in far South Texas have been trying to find a way to eradicate OWBs in their pastures. Texas AgriLife Extension bulletin “Introduced Bluestem Grasses: Management on Native Lands” describes several methods being used in the effort to rid pastures of OWBs. In 2016, one project involved using chemicals, plowing, mowing, reseeding, summer burning, and combinations of these practices.

To read the about the researchers findings and hear Tony’s take, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.