Ag News and Views: December 1999
Economics
The Future of Farming and Ranching: Creating a Vision & Mission & Setting Goals by Paul Joerger
The longevity of farm and ranch operations can be determined partially by the manager's ability to develop a farm business plan, implement it, and monitor the outcome. The first step in developing the plan is to list the goals of the business. However, you should first devise the vision and mission statement to provide direction.
Horticulture
Hoop House Production: Color it Pepper by Steve Upson
The next time you are grocery shopping, check the prices for specialty (colored) bell peppers. They are anywhere from two to three times as much as green bell peppers. Retail prices as high as $3.00 per pound are not uncommon and are associated primarily with the additional cost (risk) involved in growing specialty peppers.
Livestock
Times and People Change by Clay Wright
In my early years, I tried to put new cooperators' commercial cow/calf enterprises on a long-term program of genetic improvement. That's how I was trained. Such a plan usually includes identifying current animal performance levels, defining desired genetic goals, and changing management to achieve those goals. It requires measuring appropriate performance traits in the herd to determine which need to be changed and which do not. Only then can the correct replacement heifers and bulls be selected to move the herd toward its genetic optimum.
Plant of the Month
Rescuegrass by Russell Stevens
Research
New Legume Studies by Rod Reed
We are frequently asked for advice on legumes. To help answer some of these questions, we have returned to performance testing of clover varieties to study yield, yield distribution, cold tolerance, and general adaptation to our region's environment. Also, we have begun to examine some legumes that, although not entirely new, have not received much attention or effort in the past: kura clover and annual medics.
Soils
More about Yield Goals by Wadell Altom
We have written about the importance of yield goals but believe a review is needed. Those of you who have soils tested and want a fertilizer recommendation know that the expected yield (yield goal) has almost the same influence on the fertilizer recommendation as the soil test values. In many instances, the testing facility personnel assume a yield goal or send only the test results to the sample owner if they receive no yield goal with the soil sample.
Wildlife
Where, Oh Where, are the Quail? by Russell Stevens
Recently, several of the Noble Foundation's wildlife staff traveled to Abilene, Texas, to attend the North Texas Quail Symposium: Preserving Texas' Quail Heritage into the 21st Century. It was an excellent meeting for those interested in quail management.