Farm & Ranch
Restoring nature’s beauty one seed bomb at a time: Red River Seed Bombs
By Jessica Bartel, editor
Not have a green thumb? Want an alternative to the back-breaking work of planting seeds or flowers? What about seed bombs? Seed bombs or seed paper offer gardeners, home-owners and landscapers an alternative to traditional planting.
Prior to 2010, Melvin and Carolyn Grissom had no knowledge of seed bombs outside of living in the country and planting a garden. The story of how the seed bombs came to be, Carolyn would say, was sent to them from up above and interpreted by a dear friend. After previously owning a business in Bowie, TX, the downwards spiral of the economy left the Grissoms sitting idle. That was until their friend Susan Campbell insisted Carolyn get involved with the Red River Valley Tourism Association. Having had previous experience in tourism, Carolyn agreed to attend the meeting that April in Sherman, TX. As time would have it, Susan fell ill. Unable to attend, Susan sent Carolyn off with one message, “You’ve got to go to the meeting! Keep your ears open, eyes open and heart open!” Once at the meeting, nothing seemed to stand out to Carolyn, until the president of the association mentioned a seed bombing project that was being discontinued due to the inability to find a sponsor.
At that moment Carolyn knew why she had been sent to that meeting and what she was supposed to find. After researching and traveling to seed distributors, both Carolyn and Melvin decided they could do it. Unfortunately Susan never got to see the successful business she had a hand in creating. To read more pick up the August 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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