Stock For Drought And Plan For Opportunities


ful about planning as if the drought were over, said a Texas AgriLife Ex- tension Service expert. This is especially relevant for live-


T


stock producers who must rely on rain-nurtured pastures and range- land, said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and a member of the Governor’s Drought Prepared- ness Council. “My philosophy is to stock for


drought and take opportunities as they present themselves,” Miller said. “In other words, keep your stocking numbers low, but if you get a year with a lot of rainfall, bring in some stocker cattle to use that grass but don’t push the limit on your stocking rates – ever.” Miller made his comments in light


of a recent forecast of not just an- other year, but perhaps even five to 10 years more drought, by Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatolo- gist. But even without the discouraging


forecast, stocking for drought is still a good long-term strategy, Miller said. “We’ve all just seen people empty- ing ranches,” he said. “Was that the


COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS


hough large parts of Central and South Texas received substantial rains, producers should be care-


right maneuver to


begin with? We’ve had six major droughts in the last decade and a half. Do we really need to stock at those levels?” On a more positive


note, where there was substantial


rain,


farmers and ranchers will be encouraged to plant winter pastures, he said. Most of those who earlier planted into dry soils or after minimal rain will be rewarded. But Miller still rec-


ommended a conser- vative approach. “Take another look


Farmers Share Ideas To Boost Milk Profits At Springfield Dairy Grazing Conference


dairy farming was time consuming and not prof- itable. He planned to raise beef cows. Meier told his story to repeated busloads of visi-


M


tors. His was one of three Ozark farm stops for 266 visitors attending the Dairy Grazing Conference at the Springfield Expo Center. Meier said his pasture-based seasonal milking


herd of 110 cows makes more money and takes less work than the old-style dairy. The difference? He feeds less grain rations, and the cows do the forage harvesting. Most of the feed comes from small graz- ing paddocks. “In 2008 the cows were not milked on the farm for


the first time in 100 years,” Meier said. He quit the everyday milking chore for a two-month winter break. He began the shift after his father retired in 2000. On a pasture walk with visitors, Meier demon-


strated many of the points made by speakers with PowerPoint slides at the Grazing Conference. Large pastures are divided with fences into paddocks of high-quality grass. Cows are moved to fresh pas- ture every day, sometimes twice a day. The Meier cows are mostly Holstein/Jersey cross-


breds, a change from large Holsteins. Smaller cows make more efficient use of grass. The cows are syn- chronized in calving to start milking at the end of January. Stockpiled grass helps extend the grazing season into winter. Less baled hay is fed. Less feed is purchased. Meier is the sole worker. The bus tours also stopped at Greenhaven


Dairies, LLC, in Granby, Mo. Grant and Karryn Chadwick are sharemilkers on a 480-acre farm that


18• MidAmerica Farmer Grower / October 21, 2011 CONTINUED ON PAGE 24


www.irrigationcentral.com 573-472-0886


at it come top-dress- ing time,” he said. “Also, one of the key things to remember is we just came through a year of major drought. If we put fer- tilizer on the crops and forages last year, chances are we didn’t use much if any of it. Soil test and look at what kind of nutrients you have in your soil before you spend a dime on putting fertilizer out.” Miller also recommended


What’s remarkable about this Washington County pasture, located about 75 miles northwest of Houston, is that there isn’t any pasture whatsoever, not even stubble, said Dr. Travis Miller, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist. “Stock for drought; plan for opportunities,” Miller said. Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Travis Miller


those crop producers preparing for spring plantings consider reduced and minimum tillage practices if they haven’t done so already. “You can get your fields in shape,


but one of the keys things I’ve learned while touring parts of the


world where drought is even more common than here is to utilize sur- face residue to trap and hold mois- ture,” he said. “Take a second look at whether you really need to be plow- ing and turning moisture up to the air.”


∆


MONETT, MO.


ike Meier was going to shut down the 100- year-old family dairy farm, until he learned about seasonal-dairy grazing. Conventional


Licensed to Drill Ag Wells in KY MO & TN


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