Pfizer sale shows value of feed and health program

Wednesday night I went down and watched some of the cattle sell at the Pfizer Pre-Conditioned Sale held at the local barn. Now, David Mason and the rest of the Simpson clan has been holding these sales twice a year for the past few years so that area producers can take advantage of them.

Well, the folks that sold their cattle in the pen of blacks weighing between 600-700 pounds took advantage. Looking around at the other area markets and the Producers video sale last Friday night those calves look to me that they brought 6-8 cents more per pound than other non-vaccinated calves. Hopefully they also made a little money putting on some extra weight. I hope they have another pre-conditioned sale in January and I hope more producers will take advantage of it.

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STOCKPILE PASTURES FOR CHEAP WINTER FEED

This past weekend?s rain were welcomed by all farmers across the county. The moisture will allow farmers who are worried about their winter hay supply to consider stockpiling fescue to help get the cows through the winter. Stockpiling is simply accumulating forage growth for grazing later.

Saving fall grown fescue for winter feed is a smart deal for several reasons. Number one is the fact that fescue doesnt produce a seed head in the fall. So if we continue to get some moisture all the plants energy goes to vegetative growth and that means more leaves and more feed value.

Fescue can produce up to a ton per acre of feed in the fall given adequate moisture and fertility. Another good reason to stockpile fescue is that the cattle can harvest the forage themselves as we dont have to worry about frost killing the plants. In fact, a frost actually improves the quality of fescue for cattle feed. We also say the expense of cutting and baling.

Stockpiling is a simple practice. Clip your pastures, add 30-45 pounds of nitrogen per acre and then sit back and watch your fields grow. The pastures are best grazed starting in December, depending on the weather or when you need the pasture. Limit grazing will allow you to get even more cow days from the field. Give me a call for more information on tockpiled fescue pastures.

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New Tool Links Tennessee Farmers and Food Manufacturers

When Brad Simmons began looking for high-quality strawberries, preferably from Tennessee, for Bell Buckle Country Store?s strawberry jam, he did not know he would be able to find them just down the road from his Farmington, Tennessee, processing facility.

Nancy Edwards and the Potts family of Valley Home Farm in Wartrace, Tennessee, produces strawberries for a pick-your-own operation and for some of their own value-added products. They often need a market for their excess supply. Even though Brad and Nancy had known each other for years, they did not recognize that their businesses could compliment one another until recently.

?There are many food manufacturers in need of ingredients and farmers in need of markets across the state,? says Megan Bruch, marketing specialist with the University of Tennessee?s Center for Profitable Agriculture. ?Connecting manufacturers to farmers will be much easier with the help of a new on-line tool called Tennessee Farmlink.?

The Tennessee Specialty Food Association (TSFA) developed Tennessee FarmLink with three forums for users to post information. The ?Crops Wanted Marketboard? provides a place for farmers to list crops that they are currently growing or are willing to grow for food manufacturers. The ?Farm Products Marketboard? allows food manufacturers to list items needed as ingredients in their products. The final forum allows farmers or food manufacturers to list other items needed or for sale, such as specialty equipment.

Farmers or food manufacturers wanting to list items on Tennessee FarmLink must register on the site, www.tsfagourmet.com/TSFA/farmlinkhome.htm. Postings, however, can be viewed by anyone. There is no fee to post information.

TSFA developed the site with a grant funded by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture ?Ag Tag? program.

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MOSS IS KILLING MY YARD!

Several times a year a local gardener will call and tell me that moss is killing their lawn. They see moss growing on bare patches of ground in their yard.

Actually, ground moss is not killing the grass, but it is a strong indication there are landscape problems. There are several possible contributing factors to moss growing in a yard. If these factors are corrected the moss will decline and die. Moss thrives in a wet, poorly drained soil. Most lawn grasses don’t perform well in this situation.

Correcting drainage improves the conditions for the turfgrass and makes conditions less favorable for moss. Poor soil fertility and very low pH make survival and growth of a healthy lawn unlikely. Soil test and correct fertility problems. Dense shade also encourages moss growth. Most turf grasses need a good bit of light to grow well. Removing lower limbs of trees that provide heavy shade allows more light to get to the turfgrass.

This measure promotes growth of healthy grass and discourages growth of moss. Give me a call for more information about fall lawn care and making plans to seed or renovate your lawn. Now is the time to get ready to do this job in September.