Grazing, herd health and the role of animals in rebuilding land.
How to size an energizer by output joules, choose between polywire and netting, build a ground that still works in a dry July, train stock, move a herd alone before breakfast, and what NRCS practice 382 pays for temporary fence in fiscal year 2026.
Calves bring $505 a hundredweight and the January Cattle report shows a herd that has nearly stopped shrinking. Before you keep more heifers, line calving up with the grass: peak lactation on peak forage, a 45 to 60 day window, bulls on a calendar.
What makes a breed heritage, why those genetics finish on grass and mother without help, how to read the Conservation Priority List, where to buy sound stock, and the premium markets that pay for a slower-growing animal.
Egg prices doubled, then fell back, inside six months. A pastured flock cannot ride that curve. How to size the flock, house it on skids, budget feed, read the seasonal lay rate, handle eggs legally and price a dozen from your own costs.
A first season with pigs outdoors: how many to put on an acre, which heritage breeds forage well, fences that hold, water and shade, what the feed bill looks like, when to farrow, the rules on food scraps, and where Proposition 12 stands.
Halves and quarters, cuts and bundles: what the custom exemption allows, why hanging and take-home weights differ, how to price and take deposits, how to walk customers through the cut sheet and the freezer, and when inspection lets you sell by the cut.
A June heat dome just broke records from Chicago to Boston. How to read the temperature-humidity index, how much water and shade a herd really needs, why toxic fescue makes heat worse, and how to plan paddocks for the hottest weeks.
Why sheep and goats fit a cattle farm, how FAMACHA and grazing height keep the barber pole worm in check, the fencing and guardian dogs that make it work, when to lamb and kid, and where the lamb and goat market is.
Hay is scarce and the drought map is wide this fall. Here is how a grass-fed herd gets through winter on stockpiled fescue, strip grazing, bale grazing that feeds the soil, an honest hay budget, body condition scores and water that does not freeze.
A first batch of meat chickens is the quickest livestock enterprise a small farm can add. What the extension trials say about pens, daily moves, feed per bird and predators, and what the federal 1,000 and 20,000 bird processing exemptions really allow.
When raising cattle, choosing the best grass is essential for providing your animals with a balanced diet. Not all grasses are equally beneficial for raising beef or dairy cows, so it's important to know which type of grass will provide the...
Responsible grazing creates added value to your products, and allows you to tap into a new market that shows great promise for the future.
