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Random thoughts while wondering who will be the cattle-persons of the 21st century?

A calf will always prefer its mother's milk first and will consume all she produces each day. Creep feeding won't help the cow, but it still can be an option for some producers.

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

Though the idea behind composite breeding systems has been around for decades, only recently has the practice attracted interest within the beef industry. The reason for this interest is simple. Composite crossbreeding is a functional, low-management alternative to traditional crossbreeding techniques.

Personnel are the most important asset of the farm or ranch business and should be viewed as investments, not expenses. Finding and hiring competent employees can be a long and arduous process, but it's extremely rewarding.

A management strategy to consider in the fall is the control of several hard-to-handle perennial weeds field bindweed, Johnsongrass, bermudagrass, Sericea lespedeza and brush.

Like us, many producers purchase inputs such as fuel, fertilizer, hay and feed in bulk quantities in order to obtain price discounts. Although this can be viewed as "smart shopping" on the part of the producer, it has serious implications to farm management decisions if the bulk-purchased inputs are not expensed across the enterprises correctly.

A great pasture manager is one who pays attention to the details and realizes the first step of pasture management is the "plan."

While demonstration will continue to be a meaningful portion of our effort, the primary area of emphasis will be to design, implement, analyze and report results for research projects primarily originating from issues the Ag Division consultants encounter while working with cooperators.

Critical thinking requires discipline. You must learn to resist peer pressure and salesmanship, learn to ask questions and gather information, and develop relationships with people who can help you evaluate your options.