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 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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