Brownfield » Managing for Profit

Farm goes back 13 generations

Tom Steever — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:26 +0000

Farming in close quarters is a challenge, but former Cattlemen’s Beef Board Chairman Lucinda Williams says they’ve been living with it a good long while. The former Cattlemen’s Beef Board chairman says, including their kids, their place has been in the family 13 generations; even before their hometown of Hatfield, Massachusetts, was a town. Her biggest interest is getting the cattleman’s story told right and setting people straight.

AUDIO: Lucinda Williams (3 min. MP3)

The lost art of crop rotations

Ken Anderson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:36 +0000

Dwayne Beck, manager of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm near Pierre, South Dakota, has been conducting no-till research since the late 70’s. Dwayne is a big proponent of diverse crop rotation systems, which he says consists of growing different kinds of crops in planned sequences. He was a featured speaker at the recent National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, where we had a chance to visit with him about his work with farmers in central South Dakota.

AUDIO: Dwayne Beck (3 min MP3)

There are some crop insurance changes this year

Bob Meyer — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:41:03 +0000

Tom O’Deen handles crop insurance for the M & I Banks in Wisconsin, he says there are some changes and some opportunities this year.

AUDIO: Tom O’Deen

Weed resistance escalating, professor warns

Julie Harker — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:06:43 +0000

A glyphosate resistance expert in Australia says there are lessons to be learned for U.S. farmers. Dr. Steve Powels is a consultant for Syngenta who says producers must use extremely careful management to deal with the resistance that keeps building up from “massive reliance” on “the world’s greatest herbicide.”

AUDIO: Dr. Steve Powels, University at Western Australia (3 min., MP3)

The formula for no-tilling 300 bushel corn

Ken Anderson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:00:37 +0000

University of Illinois plant physiologist Fred Below was one of the featured speakers at the recent National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. He talked about what it takes to grow 300-bushel no-till corn, focusing on what Below calls “The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World.” Below says those are the top seven factors every year that can positively—and sometimes negatively—impact corn yields.

AUDIO: Fred Below (3 min MP3)

The constant search for more efficient dairy production

Bob Meyer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:17:41 +0000

Dr. Karl Dawson is Director of Worldwide Research for Alltech. He says they are constantly working to increase the efficiency of today’s dairy cow while looking at alternative feed sources including byproducts.

AUDIO: Dr. Karl Dawson talks about his research

Mobile Slaughter Units could help local communities

Dave Russell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:50:20 +0000

USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan says that as part of their “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, USDA believes Mobile Slaughter Units will serve a role, but it’s not as easy as it may seem.

AUDIO: Kathleen Merrigan, USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture (3:00 MP3)

Moldy hay a feed concern for cattle

Julie Harker — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:05:39 +0000

The wet conditions of last year and the start of this year have contributed to not only mold concerns in feed grains but also in hay. Cow-calf and stocker cattle nutritionist Cathy Bandyk with Quality Liquid Feeds in Wisconsin tells Brownfield it’s something beef cattle producers need to try and manage. Only a few of the thousands of molds that develop can produce mycotoxins, poisons that can cause health problems, and in some cases, cattle death.

AUDIO: Cathy Bandyk, cattle nutritionist with Quality Liquid Feeds of Wisconsin (3 min., MP3)

The highs and lows of farming

Ken Anderson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:00:55 +0000

The last couple of months have brought some real highs and lows for farmer Mark McHargue of Central City in central Nebraska. The highs—the record crops he harvested in November. The lows—three major snowstorms and some bitterly cold weather in December and January, which have made it real tough to take care of livestock. Brownfield’s Ken Anderson talked to Mark earlier this month.

AUDIO: Mark McHargue (3 min MP3)

Technology is a component of sustainability

Bob Meyer — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:05:34 +0000

Dr. Pearce Lyons first came to the United States in the mid 70’s…and expert in fermentation he worked with the brewing industry…eventually he started working on fermentation in the rumen and built Alltech…based in Louisville, Kentucky, today the company sells rumen products around the world. I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Lyons a couple of weeks ago, we talked about his products, his company his philosophy and what he sees American agriculture needs to do in the coming years.

AUDIO: Dr. Lyons talks about his vision