I posted previously about how ranchers prepare for a snowstorm. I posted a picture of this heifer who was getting ready to calve. And yes, she thought the snowstorm was a perfect time to have a calf.Thankfully, we got her into the barn before the foot of snow dumped. She and the heifer calf are […]
cattle
Value-based marketing for cattlemen with key drivers for 2015
I recently attended the Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium, put on by Colorado Livestock Association in honor of my Gramps. This annual symposium is for cattlemen and one of the main discussion points this year was about the cattle markets and what the key drivers for 2015 and beyond look like. 2014 was obviously a banner year for cattlemen with unprecedented […]
5 ways ranchers prepare for a snowstorm
We have a big snowstorm coming for the Plains today, but our cattle are ready for it. This is how we prepare for a big snow storm. 1. Cattle are in protected areas. We rotate our cattle in a holistic, rotational pattern moving them paddock to paddock (paddock = fenced-off pastures), but in the winter, […]
Using cattle and GPS to study climate change
Just as I use my Garmin GPS watch to track my runs, researchers are using GPS tracking collars on cattle that are part of a five-year study to better understand beef production vulnerability across the southern Great Plains in the face of climate change. The goal, said K-State agronomy professor Dan Devlin, is to increase the resiliency of beef cattle […]
Cattle accounted by EPA for leading methane source
Agriculture just can’t get a break from the EPA. First, this past December and January, corn farmers and agribusiness alike were sending in comments to the Environmental Protection Agency to oppose EPA’s proposed changes in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that would affect corn-ethanol production and much of the Midwest’s economy. Now, a draft report […]
I’m not ready for snow!
Well, I suppose it is December. That is the comment I try to tell myself and others when the comment, “I’m not ready for snow!” arises. But when the weather has been so nice, it’s hard to be ready to acclimate to cold, snowy weather. March, April and May seems just not that long ago […]
Wordless Wednesday {red cows & green grass}
The ranch is thankful for much needed moisture for the green grass. And our cows are sure loving it! Now we just need the moisture to keep coming and the weather to be mild.
Planting time? and snow drifts.
In the next several weeks, farmers across the U.S. will begin planting and cultivating their crops for the 2013 harvest. With the 2012 drought still looming, this is a little scary. You can put a seed in the ground, but what does it need to grow? Water, nutrients, sunlight. And more water. And not to […]
Changing the views of desert & livestock
What is your attention span? Mine – especially for videos – is usually around 2 minutes. And that’s only if it’s good and I don’t skip on before it’s over. This video I’m posting about today is 22:20 and it felt like only 2 minutes. There is a new video circling the Internet (I found […]
“Exceptional” moisture
I’m feeling grateful this Friday. Despite the cold and bitter winter conditions, the ranch received some much needed moisture this week. The ranch in Eastern Colorado is where the green star is on this map – right in the middle of the dark red, Exceptional Drought. We like to view our ranch as “exceptional”, but […]
