March, 2003 Table of Contents
News & Views Archive Issues

Economics
Are You Doing the 'Right Things' on Your Operation?
by Dan Childs
Management most often is your responsibility as owner/operator and primary decision-maker. You decide what are the right things to be doing in your operation. Here are a few items to think about to determine if you are doing the right things on your farm or ranch.

Forage
Hay Is for Horses, but Pasture Is Too!
by Hugh Aljoe
Forages are an essential component of a horse’s diet, because they need it to help prevent digestion problems. Additionally, an adequate quantity of good-quality forage can minimize feed expenses, which is usually the single highest cost of owning a horse.

From the Farm
Fall Is Just Around the Corner ... Are You Ready?
by Russ Gentry
I bet a lot of you are thinking, "Does this guy know his seasons? It’s only March." The reason I think of fall now is because it is a time-sensitive part of the year when winter pasture needs to be established, fertilizer put out, stockers processed, etc.

Livestock
Trade Show Highlights New EID Developments
by Billy Cook
The National Cattleman's Beef Associaition convention offers what may be the premier tradeshow associated with the cattle industry. One of the things that really caught my attention was the number of companies offering various means of cattle identification and information management.

Research
FBG Seeks to Discover Heat-Tolerant Tall Fescue Genotypes
by Rouf Mian and John Zwonitzer
One major objective of the Forage Biotechnology Group (FBG) at the Noble Foundation is to develop persistent cool-season forage grass cultivars for the southern Great Plains.

Soils
A Weed Wiper Is Good for You, Bad For Weeds
by Jim Johnson
Many people are unfamiliar with wiper or wick applicators. The concept is simple. Herbicide solution is supplied to an absorbent surface. The herbicide soaked surface only contacts weeds taller than the crop. Chemical is transferred to the surface of the weeds as the applicator “wipes” over them.

Wildlife
Does Leasing Increase the Cost of Hunting?
by Grant Huggins
If a hunter has permission to hunt a specific tract of land for free and the landowner decides to begin charging a fee, and that hunter decides to pay the fee to continue hunting there, his individual cost of hunting has been increased. However, such a chain of events is rare and affects a very small fraction of hunters any given year.