Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2018 i Farm and Ranch Living

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS MIGHT BE the most important quality in those who make their living on the land. This occurred to me while reading Garrett Dixon’s farm diary beginning on page 26. It seemed something broke down every day on Garrett’s cotton farm, even his brand-new equipment. But, undeterred each time, Garrett slowed just long enough to figure out the workaround. That theme popped up over and over in this issue. First-time farmers Pauline and Tom Hylton turned to YouTube to learn how to plant 1,500 asparagus crowns. You can read their story on page 19. And sheep rancher John Helle and his family created their own clothing company when disappointed by wool prices in the open market. The Helles’ story begins on page 48. All this ingenuity is behind the…

SOME PIG Patty T. Pig, my 1,000-pound pet pig, passed away in 2016 at age 16. She was a lucky girl, living the life on my family’s land, Springdell Farm. My family has been on this land since 1931, but it has been farmed since the 1700s. Patty played a large role in the community, appearing at many events, and children just adored her. I loved that old girl, too. JAMIE CRUZ LITTLETON, MASSACHUSETTS HEADING HOME My grandchildren race back to the barn on their horses after a long day spent rounding up cattle. Grace leads the way on Vegas, followed by Lexi on Ruby and Mac on Bugsy. My heart swells with pride while watching these kids live the country life. SUZANN MILLER HYRUM, UTAH A DIRTY JOB Muddy…

It seemed like a good plan. Five years ago, my husband, Tom, and I ordered 1,500 asparagus crowns, along with other fruit and vegetable plants, all at once. We were brand-new farmers. In fact, until college, I had thought olives grew with pimientos in them. It wasn’t until our order arrived that we realized our mistake. “Which ones are the asparagus?” I wondered out loud. “I think they are the ones that look like squid," said Tom, who before our move had been a third-generation charter fisherman in Florida. We turned to Google and YouTube University to figure everything out. When we got to the asparagus, I looked up an article online. That’s when I realized something: “Hey, Tom. It says we were supposed to have prepared the field a…

Garrett Dixon spends much—he might say too much—of his day troubleshooting breakdowns and other hang-ups. To get through them with minimal wasted time and money, he relies on skills other than plowing and planting. He thinks any farmer should be adept in: 1. Tech Support. Farming hasn’t been left out of recent technological advances, he says. During the growing season, he uses some kind of digital guidance system every day. 2. Basic Mechanics. “Each day that you have equipment running, something little is going to break,” he says. “It’s important to quickly be able to diagnose the problem and know how to fix it in the field.” 3. Welding. Garrett says he’s blessed to have a couple of capable welders nearby, but sometimes he has to pick up the torch…

Old-Fashioned Farm Fun I can identify the 51/8-by-½-inch metal item pictured in your February/March 2018 What Is This? column. It’s a draw pin, and it is used to attach a wagon tongue to the drawbar of a tractor. I grew up on a small dairy farm in west-central Wisconsin. I have many cherished memories of farming the old-fashioned way. I shocked many bundles of oats threshed by my uncle’s Red River Special threshing machine. My job was to pitch the bundles onto the wagons. I also drove our 8N Ford tractor and wagon with the hay loader attached behind to load loose hay. We worked hard and laughed hard, and we ate really wonderful meals, too. FREDERICK STEIN ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA My son, Johnny, is the best chicken trainer. Here…

NAME: Buster BREED: Mixed AGE: 5 years HOME: Moulton, AL JOBS: Bodyguard, buddy STRENGTH: Lifeguarding Before he came to our farm in 2015, Buster, my 5-year-old dog, lived with my niece and nephew in an urban area where he frequently escaped from the fenced yard to wander. Now he runs freely, exploring the entire farm at will. He was meant to roam wide-open spaces. We think he may have some greyhound mixed in with Lab and shepherd breeds. With his varied pedigree, we like to call him our Heinz 57 dog. When I feed the cows, horses and other farm critters, Buster sticks right by my side. He is quite dependable and fearless. On Christmas Day in 2015, we had a huge flood. Buster and I headed out to check…

Welcome to the Wisconsin River Wildlife Co., a 40-acre family farm that my wife, Tammy, and I share with our dog, George, and two cats, Foxy and Midnight. Ten years ago, I was looking for a way to test out ideas that arose in my nutritional research work. So my son, Bernie III, and I bought this farm and converted it into a rustic living laboratory. We raise elk, whitetail deer, red deer, chickens, turkeys, pigs and sheep with as few chemicals as we can. To do this, we integrated aquaculture, natural fruit extracts and pen rotation to increase our yields. And we experiment with natural soil amendments to boost garden and crop productivity. We’ve extracted components from local crops—chia and cranberries, for example—to create supplements for both our farmland…

Watch the Wool There’s no scratch factor with wool from Helle sheep. The family bred the itchiness out with the help of the OFDA 2000. The Optical-Based Fiber Diameter Analyzer measures wool’s average fiber diameter, which affects how soft it feels. The OFDA 2000 can cost $60,000 or more, but Evan says its use was critical to his family’s success. Able to identify which sheep had good wool, the Helles bred them with each other. In 10 years they had a flock of sheep with fibers soft enough to lie next to the skin. Good Dogs The Helles favor the canine breeds Akbash, Great Pyrenees and Kangal to guard their sheep from mountain lions and wolves. Border collies are an irreplaceable asset for getting the band where they need to…

Q: I want to start raising chickens. How do I start out small? Where should I keep them in cold weather? What do I do if we go away on vacation? SHARON O. BLUMBERG MUNSTER, INDIANA A: I’ve found two major factors to consider in starting a small chicken operation. First, do your research to choose a breed that best fits your area’s climate and your living situation. Some breeds, such as Buff Orpington and Barred Rock, are hardy enough for colder climates, while others would need to be bundled up just to survive. Also consider space and movement; a breed like Rhode Island Red will flourish in either free-range or pastured environments. Second, invest in a safe, dependable heat source for the first weeks of life. It’ll save your…

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Tarragon Asparagus I grow purple asparagus, so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it. Recently, my husband and I discovered how wonderful any color of asparagus tastes when it’s grilled. SUE GRONHOLZ BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN TAKES: 15 min. MAKES: 8 servings 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup honey 2-4 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon DIRECTIONS On a large plate, toss asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally and basting frequently with honey during the last 3 minutes. Sprinkle with tarragon. 1 SERVING: 76 cal., 4g fat (1g sat. fat), 0 chol., 302mg sod., 11g carb. (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g pro. Diabetic exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch,…

I use strip-tillage practices, plant cover crops and employ grid soil sampling to be a good steward to the land. Farming has always been a part of my life. My dad grew up on a row crop farm in northwest Florida. My mother’s family moved to Salem before the Civil War and has been farming here ever since. I grew up watching my grandfather plant and harvest cotton in the fields surrounding my parents’ house. I always loved it, so I followed in his large footsteps. When I was in high school I worked for my uncle on his farm,where I learned how to fix tractors and every other type of machinery. Dixon Farms was founded in 2009 when Dad and I bought a few head of registered Angus cattle…