Neighbor to Neighbor

You know those people who stand outside the grocery stores? The ones who are ringing bells, handing out fliers, trying to give or get something from you?  Are you the type of person who stops and listens to what they have to say or one that skirts on by "promising" you'll stop on the way out only to take the back exit and walk a 1/4 mile just to avoid the conversation?

If you're the latter, stop and listen just for a moment.  Ms. Katie and I will be posted up outside of Dillons on Saturday morning promoting the Neighbor to Neighbor food drive.  We will be collecting food and money for our local families of Leavenworth County who dont have enough to  eat.

Being a farmer and a rancher, we already are providing food for the nation but as Kansas' largest industry, employer and economic driver; there is always more we can do.

“The Neighbor to Neighbor food drive can help us reduce hunger in Kansas but it also gives us a chance to say thank you to our state’s farmers and ranchers,” Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman said. “Today’s farmers and ranchers work 365 days a year to raise food to feed your family and mine. They work to continuously improve their practices to raise safe, wholesome food. About 30 years ago, one farmer fed approximately 56 people on average. Today, one farmer feeds 155 people. I hope all Kansans will join us in this important effort to help our neighbors and will also take a minute to say thank you to the men and women who raised that food.” 

So, come by and see us.  We'll be at the Dillons in Leavenworth from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm  She is quite possibly the cutest pregnant lady you'll ever meet and I just want to shake your hand for helping us help those in need.  After all, it's going to be a beautiful day!!

In other news...

Other reasons why I've turned into a bad blogger?   Too many commitments! One little job after another means I need a big marker board to keep things straight... ( Need, dont have, that's why I'm always feeling crazy!!!)

So,  here's my little two cents that goes in the Kansas Stockman each month.  Basically I just write a few words about what's going on with the Black Hereford Association so people are always thinking about us!

April's Issue:

The sales are wrapping up, the snow is melting and the baby calves are quickly making their debuts! If you’re a spring calving operation that uses live cover for breeding you should be seeing at least 65% of your babies by the end of your first 21 day breeding cycle.  That makes for a very busy first couple of weeks.  If your numbers are much less than that, you may want to consider looking into your cow nutrition or your herd bull battery.  Your heifers should be 65% of their full adult weight upon breeding and 85% of their adult weight at delivery of their first calf. 

Although the snow is less than desirable during the thick of calving season, we hope it will provide some much needed relief from the drought we’ve all be suffering through.  The uncertainty of Mother Nature has made for smaller herds for this upcoming year but if you find yourself needing a bull as the rain (hopefully) continues to fall, please contact me at(913) 727-1266.

It's blue green water and it ain't the sea

It's no new info that we are in a serious drought and with the lack of rain and excessive heat, we are all facing a multitude of new challenges.  We all know it takes rain to grow crops, crops to feed cattle and cattle to feed the consumer. But the challenges our consumer doesn't think about is how hard no rain can be on the cattle from the get go.

The natural cycle for the 94% family owned and operated ranches is generally the same.  Cattle go out to pasture in the spring where they are fed by grass all summer long and then sold to the feedlot somewhere after labor day.  For our operation, we send both our beef cattle and our registered cattle out to the flint hills in the spring where they feed on the wonderful natural grasses and are watered by the natural springs and ponds that are in each pasture.  Problem is... you need rain to keep those ponds full and the springs running.

Without the rain to fill our ponds, the water level is low, warm and stagnant creating the perfect environment for Blue Green Algae.  This algae is the latest threat to the nations cattle herd and is prominent in the areas most affected by the drought.  

The blue green algae occurs naturally in most ponds but when the conditions are right, it can multiply and take over small bodies of water. The rain is what normally breaks up the scum and continues the natural cycle but without our rain, this algae is growing in abnormally high concentrations.   Not only does this kill the plants and organisms living in the water by sucking out all the oxygen but it also is highly toxic to all animals.  "Livestock affected with the nervous system toxins may
show signs including muscle tremors, decreased movement, and difficult breathing.  They will collapse and go into convulsions.  In the field, many cases show no signs except sudden collapse and death." according to South Dakota State University

So, as you can imagine, everyone is on high alert.  As if the lack of water and grass wasn't hard enough on us all, now we have to take special care to keep an eye on the water we do have.

Bottom line? Start doing the rain dances because our consumers may not think this affects them but it will take a toll on the supermarket prices!

Remembering what's important this 4th of July

Now I love America more than the next guy! And being a red blooded American, what better way to show our appreciation than to blow a bunch of stuff up.. am I right? Right? Wrong.

This year, we need to take care of our current America... and she is thirsty, dry and ready to light up with the smallest match.  According to National Drought Mitigation, 72% of American is categorized as "Abnormally dry" or worse.  This is compared to last year, with what we felt was a terrible year, where 32% of the country was in this category.  The fear is this drought is going to rival or surpass the drought of 1988 which put the agriculture business back $78 million.

Now were all painfully aware of what the residents of Colorado are currently facing.

There is no doubt that these fires are uncontrollable and fueled by dry lands, high winds and excessive periods of  no rain.  How is that any different than any of the midwest?

Besides the obvious effects of the land burning under our feet, this drought has the possibility of affecting each and every one of us where it hurts even more... our wallets.  With the lack of rain our corn and soybean crops are deteriorating rapidly. With higher corn prices comes higher feed costs, lower margin for error resulting in higher beef costs.

I know this is not my normal cheery blog but I want us all to be painfully aware of the situation were in.  It's not to be taken lightly.  Some big cities have banned fireworks which is great for this year but for those of us that live outside the city limits, rules seldom reach us or are enforced.

So please, use your heads, play with snakes and smoke bombs.  Keep a hose close by in case something does spark and be mindful of your neighbors.  Some of us are trying to grow food for the nation and we need every blade of grass we can get!

Happy Birthday America.  We'll do our best to take better care of you from now on.