The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.    
     
NF-3 Consulting Team
 
 
     
NF-3 Team Members

Matt Mattox
Pasture/Range/Team Mgr.

Sarah Alkire
Admin. Assistant

David Annis
Suburban Ag.

Dan Childs
Ag Economics

Charles Rohla
Horticulture

Steven Smith
Wildlife

Clay Wright
Livestock
News and Announcements from NF-3 Team
NF-3 In the Field

Economics
Many farm inputs are rising in cost but none more rapidly than fertilizer. Prudent study should be given to the decision to fertilize. A must with today's prices is to soil test and know the nutrient levels in the soil so an accurate determination can be made of what is lacking. Few, if any, livestock enterprises will pay for applying phosphorous fertilizer at today's prices. An evaluation and adjustment of stocking rates may be the best choice.

Soil and Crop
Fertilizer prices have made the hay production enterprise less profitable. Calculate what it costs you to produce the hay.

Suburban Ag
Safety is a major concern on the farm and ranch. Do not allow extra riders on equipment unless it has a place specifically for extra riders. Add an entry into your cell phone called ICE (In Case of Emergency). If you are injured, this allows the first responders to quickly contact family or a friend.

Horticulture
Time to start scouting for pecan nut case bearer. Spray after eggs have hatched or damage starts to occur. Continue to spray young pecan trees with Zinc to maximize growth.

Wildlife and Fisheries
Now is the time of year when people start thinking about fishing and the health of their ponds. To learn more about the fishery, keep records of your catch. If possible, record the species, length and weight of the fish you catch. This information will help improve management decisions.

Forage
Prioritize grazing this spring on your bermudagrass pastures that have high amounts of ryegrass to avoid a decline in the bermudagrass stand.

Livestock
The main focus in beef cattle herds this time of year is the breeding season, and rightfully so. Every common measure of cow/calf production or return starts with conception rate. You must do all you can to enhance conception. The primary factor affecting conception rate is nutrition. Cows should be in a body condition score (BCS) 5.0 to 5.5 during breeding, and be on a positive plane of nutrition for the foreseeable future. When things are right, you can expect over 90 percent of the cows exposed to conceive in a 60-75 day breeding season.


Conception rate is critical to the success of a cow-calf enterprise.

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Agricultural Basics

Purchasing a Farm/Ranch
Things to know before spending money on purchasing your dream place in the country.

Basic Agriculture Information
Looking for information or just want to review your knowledge of agriculture?

Recent Articles by NF-3 Team Members

Fertilizer Forecast 2008 - Prices Still Climbing! by David Annis
6 ratings:
Some expert observers of the fertilizer market have estimated that there may be another 20 percent increase in price by spring 2008.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Cost Per Cow by Jeff Ball
13 ratings:
Fertilizer prices are at a historic high, and, with the amount of corn acres predicted in 2008, the outlook is that prices will climb even higher next spring. So, at what nitrogen fertilizer price is it no longer economical to fertilize bermudagrass in a cow/calf enterprise?

Rules for Deducting the Business Use of Your Vehicle by Dan Childs
10 ratings:
When a vehicle is used in a trade or business, the expenses to own and operate the vehicle are deductible in most situations. It is common, however, for vehicles to be driven for both business and personal use. In this case, the business owner must divide these expenses, usually by miles driven for each purpose.

Hold On To Your Grass by Matt Mattox
7 ratings:
The growing season of 2007 brought much needed range recovery in many areas of the country. To characterize the improvement of some rangeland from poor to very good within a single growing season would be an understatement in many cases. The amount and timing of the rainfall in 2007 was very unusual and very infrequent for most areas.

Mother Nature Shelled It Out During the 2007 Pecan Season by Charles Rohla
5 ratings:
Mother Nature blessed us with above normal rainfalls during the spring and early summer, which aided in a very heavy crop set for most of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas.

Improving Native Pecan Groves by Charles Rohla
4 ratings:
Mother Nature has blessed several landowners in Oklahoma and Texas with a potential income enterprise. Native pecans are found along the rivers, streams and creeks in both states. On average, 35 million pounds of native pecans are harvested from both states.

Preparing Livestock for Winter by Clay Wright
10 ratings:
We have a tendency to balance winter rations for cows in two phases: non-lactating, in the middle third of pregnancy (dry); and then post-calving, in peak lactation (wet). Using nutritional requirements for the average weight of the cow herd, it's simple to come up with two feeding regimes; one for before calving and one for after calving.

Getting the Most From Your Heifers by Clay Wright
7 ratings:
Many livestock producers reduced cow numbers in 2006 because of the drought and were hesitant to restock early in 2007. The abundant rainfall last summer, however, cleansed memories and renewed optimism, and we began to add back numbers later in the year in the form of heifers.

Events
May 15, 2008
Field Day--Noble Foundation's Oswalt Ranch
Register Now
May 29, 2008
Pecan School--Pest Control
Register Now
More Event Information

For more information about becoming a cooperator, click here or please call or e-mail Matt Mattox at (580) 224-6455.
Service Area
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Useful Information

Wildfires
Helpful information pertaining to wildfires.

Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)
For those looking for new places to enjoy the great outdoors, the NF-3 service region offers ample opportunities.

Seasonal Guidelines
From the Guidelines*:

  – see all May Guidelines
*General management guidelines for the Noble Foundation service area in Texas & Oklahoma. Consult a specialist for specific recommendations.
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