Taking a Break…. The NADA office will be closed for two weeks from April 25th through May 10th. If you require help during that period, please contact any member of the Board or, better yet, your Regional Chairmen. (They’re listed below) You may continue to send in animal registrations but there’ll be a short delay in processing.

 

The Big Spring Double Edition!

To make sure you don’t get in trouble during ED’s Spring Break, here’s an extra dose of reading material.

First, two new blogs have just gone up:

Bill Roberts has a Viewpoint that’s a challenge to Devon breeders. He fears we’re missing a window of opportunity for our breed that may never come again. Read his contribution by clicking here.

Kevin Fulton uses his background in competitive wrestling to tout the advantages of grass fed beef. Does things like rip telephone books and bend frying pans (ED, who leads the nation in grass fed beef consumption, is not quite there). Clearly Kevin is not a man to have a disagreement with. But in his guest blog, he has a bone to pick with another well-known cattleman (and a neighbor at that!). High Plains Journal columnist Trent Loos had suggested a more realistic approach to the problem of E coli. It is after all in all meat and, he says, we should admit it. To read Kevin’s Fulton’s dissent, click here.

We’ve not done much with the food/fuel crisis, frankly because we don’t know where to begin. Also, others are on top of the story. But it does appear that the “romance” with ethanol is quickly fading. We can’t help but wonder what will happen to rural America if it should crash.

Sam’s Club is rationing rice and some Costco stores are, too. A column in the Wall Street Journal says we should start hoarding food. But the WSJ, being the WSJ, says not because there are shortages but because food is a good investment. Food has been increasing at a rate of 4.5% or better. The Journal points out there aren’t any other “short term instruments” doing that well.

Some politicians are saying privately that the decision to push ethanol is a disaster…not only for food supplies but energy supplies…but they’re afraid to reverse course.

You can read the New York Times on the subject….although the great minds there clearly don’t know what to think or do either. (click here)

It’s not only poor, undeveloped countries that are experiencing food shortages. In the past few days, there’ve been stories in the American press of rice shortages in this country from Silicon Valley to Sam’s Club.

And add to the list of serious shortages: water. We’re already seeing reports of serious water shortages. The Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains may not be able to meet the irrigation demand in another 10 years A half-million diary cows are now grazing the area and that number is expected to double in the next five years. That, along with five planned ethanol plants, makes an ominous challenge.

Forage agronomist Vivien Allen at Texas Tech says dairy growth needs to stop and the cows that are there need to find a “less-thirsty” alternative to corn. Guess what? Grazing warm-season perennial grasses can save significant amounts of water.

Scientism and Big Ag…

The executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture sounds an awful lot like NADA President Gearld Fry. For some time, Fry has been decrying the Ag school and government scientists who have led us into this ag business blind alley. Brian Snyder of PASA calls the threat “scientism”.

Writing in Passages, Snyder says:

“I believe a new voice has emerged that considers itself above that of the general public in terms of both intelligence and political importance, and that voice is what I’m calling “scientism”.

“I use the word “scientism” very carefully to mean something other than the normal practice of science. Scientism describes a situation where there is no longer a dialogue about the nature of reality from many different perspectives like religion, science, history and philosophy. In this case, science has become a religion.

“Its arrogance is felt on a regular basis in meetings I attend around the country. One identifying mark of scientism is that it controls the answers by first controlling the questions.

“It is very clear that we are involved in an epic struggle to recover the questions that have been obscured in our big box research institutions. In fact, I am convinced that the struggle for food sovereignty and the research that will get us there is rapidly becoming the major civil rights struggle of our time.

“The food labeling issue has at least served to expose the unholy alliance that has occurred between some factions within government, industry and the scientific community. The aim of this alliance is to control the food system for the short term gain of its members.

“We know that a principle goal of this alliance to redefine the concept of ‘sustainability’ as it relates to agriculture, essentially requiring the use of the latest technology for a farming operation to be considered sustainable.

“We also suspect that the next step would be to pick apart the National Organic Program to the point where the term ‘organic’ loses its meaning and becomes irrelevant to farmers and consumers alike…as though we don’t already see evidence of this happening.

“Ultimately however, it is the Local Food Movement that represents the greatest threat to the Agricultural-Industrial Complex, because you can never reproduce a true local food system on an industrial scale!”

A Case in Point…

We frequently link to observations by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a popular nutritionist on the web who has a “wellness” clinic. Dr. Mercola has a new book coming out that details what “scientism” has wrought from the consumers’ point of view.

Mercola says we’re not all that far removed from the “hunter-gatherer” stage of evolution…something like 500 generations. Until just 6,000 years ago our diet consisted of wild animal meat and vegetation. To understand why “scientism” has not only made a wreck of our agricultural system, but our health, Mercola says look no farther than the sugars and grains we now consume.

He points out that corn is particularly insidious because of its presence in so many foods, including what he calls “the hidden ingredient” in beef. On top of everything else, corn is next to soybeans in being our most genetically-modified food. Not surprisingly, among Mercola’s recommendations: eat grass fed beef!

Dr. Mercola has provided the entire second chapter of his book, the best summary we’ve seen on the subject of a healthy diet, which you can read by clicking here.

 

Fry Reports to the World…

…well the World Devon Congress anyway. Fry will be leading a delegation of NADA members to the Australian meeting in September and he was asked to contribute a status report on our Association for Bulldust, the Aussie Devon magazine. You can read Fry’s remarks by clicking here.

The same issue of Bulldust featured a visit to New Zealand’s leading Devon farms and spotlighted NADA member Ken McDowall’s Rotokawa operation, to wit:

“Old 688 occupies the favoured holding paddock beside the house, where he can dream about all the progeny he has worldwide. When I saw him in 2000, he was in his prime, one of the most complete beef animals I had seen, wide-topped and of a square compact style. Although not as high a performer as his sire, his legacy is in the consistency of his progeny, especially from matings with unrelated lines around the world. His progeny have been major winners worldwide and some of his sons are promising to be even better sires.

“Now through semen exports, Rotokawa is the most influential Devon herd in the world. The Rotokawa herd consists of 50 to 60 select cows, run intensively in conjunction with a fat lamb enterprise.

“Most of the herd are dehorned with a few polled ones. Ken doesn’t select for polling, just sound Devon cattle. Heifers calve down as well-grown three-year olds and, on the soft pastures, age well and still look youthful as teenagers. Lead sires are two sons of 688. 861 and 93. who are full brothers but quite different in style.

“861 is a big, impressive, well-muscled bull. 93 is about three frames shorter, heavily muscled and very mobile. Cows in the herd are mostly medium stature with good body depth and sound udders.”

Reading the ads in Bulldust we noted the success British breeder Gavin Hunter has had penetrating the Australian Devon market. Hunter’s farm, you’ll recall, was featured in Bill Roberts’ series on traveling in Devon last Spring. Roberts was particularly interested in the Hunter operation because of a bull he had seen---Tilbrook Sunset. Then, Hunter scored big when his cow, Tilbrook Cashtiller, a 688 daughter, was awarded Grand Champion honors for all breeds in the British Royal Show. We have pictures below of those Hunter’s Sunset, Cashtiller and one of his latest young bulls, Tilbrook Turbo.

 

Carrying Things Too Far…

…of course you can, as witness the Angus experience. (Incidentally, did you notice the Angus folks now have an EPD rating for temperament?) But the hunt for bigger and bigger has led to some strange-looking animals, though nothing stranger than what NADA member Les Roggenbuch of Snover, Michigan spotted on the internet. For a look at “body building cows” click here.

 

See You in Newport…

The first candidates, including this heifer from Bill Roberts 12 Stones Farm in western Tennessee, are lining up for the NADA Select Sale. It will be the featured event at this October’s annual meeting near Newport, Rhode Island. This young lady is by a bull named Bud (a Rotokawa 667 son) and a dam from Virginia Fortenberry”s Vista Knoll Farm in Texas.. Roberts says he’s is signing up two more of his best young prospects and as the Sale Committee chairman he is inviting you to join the sale:

Greetings to all you NADA website readers:

On behalf of the NADA Board of Directors and speaking for the 2008 NADA Sale Committee, I would like to invite you all to the 2008 NADA Select Sale. You may ask why am I extending the invitation to an October function in April? Your question would be reasonable if you did! My purpose is two-fold:
1) All breeders of fine registered Red Devon cattle are cordially invited to submit candidates for entry in to the 2008 Select Sale. Details on application and qualification procedures will be forthcoming in May. There will be a limited number of animals allowed so be ready to apply early.
2) All folks who have been trying to find Red Devon females for sale, this will be an excellent opportunity to purchase from a select offering. It is a great bell weather event for buyers and lookers alike to come and review the offering to gauge quality and free market pricing for future reference.

Last years sale was a landmark event for the breed. We are working hard to make this year’s sale even better. Stay tuned for consignment details coming in May. We invite all Red Devon enthusiasts and information seekers to make your travel plans early to be a part of the educational activities, beautiful historical setting and accommodations, interaction over great food and drink, and opportunity to own some of these fantastic Ruby Red Devon cattle.

Respectfully yours

Bill Roberts

NADA Sale Committee Chairman

Too Young to Travel….

…but this young calf, just a few minutes old, looks like a sure-fire prospect for a future herd sire. (Sorry, no bulls in the Select Sale) He’s a Rotokawa 688 embryo son who just arrived at John Forelle’s Folly Farm in New York. Forelle promises some older, exciting females for Newport once the consignment process opens officially in May.

Some Good Press….

Joan Harris of Harrier Fields Farm in New York can give us all a good lesson in press relations. Once again there’s been a big regional magazine spread on Joan and Mike Scannell’s operation near Schodack Landing. It was the scene of course of last year’s annual meeting. The article was a lengthy feature in The Valley Table.

And Executive Secretary Kim Miller has made several papers with the announcement of his appointment. An article and picture was in the latest issue of Country Folks, a newspaper with readers from Maine to North Carolina and west to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Kim, himself, has been busy the past few weeks building a significant herd of pure Devon and commercial Devon-influenced cattle. He also plans an aggressive embryo program commencing this Fall.

Wisdom from the Past…

Board member Steven Campbell of Idaho has been working his way through a classic text: The Milch Cow in England by E.R. Cochrane. Written during World War II, Cochrane diagnoses what is wrong with the animals, the men who raise them, and their breed societies. In retrospect, some of his views seem timely today. Some are admittedly equally controversial.

Steve shared one chapter with the NADA Board recently and President Gearld Fry recommended we share it with our readers. Cochrane’s views on the qualifications for a consignment to the sale fit in the “timely” category as we begin selecting the animals for this Fall.

“Sales and shows. A breed society has the chance to put forward a really progressive program in relation to the sales, usually accompanied by shows, which it sponsors. As far as I am aware, all societies run their shows on the antiquated and admittedly inadequate basis of inspection only, even among single purpose dairy breeds. …..

Surely the breed societies should give a positive lead to their members by disregarding non-essentials and insisting upon the yardstick of efficiency. Most of them stress economic value in theory, but in practice their attitude is usually negative if not reactionary. If they went back to Bakewell, all might be well, since no breeder has ever been more concerned with efficiency or more practical in his efforts to obtain it. …
The breed societies tend to forget ‘the great fact that in their day the great achievements of the past were the adventures of the past. Only the adventurous can understand the greatness of the past.’ Today, bold, adventurous leadership is required in stockbreeding as in all other forms of activity. Will the breed societies provide that leadership? Or if not, from whence will it come? The day of public or private enterprise is past.”

The book is fascinating and some used copies can be found by Google-ing. But you can read the whole chapter on breed associations by clicking here.

 

The Whole (Foods) Story…

We’ve carried a number of stories that indicate the bloom is off Whole Foods’ rose; most recently with Joel Salatin’s “thanks but no thanks” letter signing off as a supplier to the big natural food chain. The latest comes from health food blogger Dr. Joe Mercola, who has one of the most widely-read websites on the internet. You can read his views by clicking here.

 

World Devon Congress…

It’s not too late to sign up for the World Devon Congress in Australia this September. Right now, it appears NADA will have a delegation of about 7 members led by President Gearld Fry. You can get all the details as well as registration information by clicking here.

 

Veteran Texas Devon Breeder Dies….

Johnny Yates, one of the original members of NADA and a longtime Texas cattleman, has passed away after a long fight with ALS, better-known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was 60. It is fortunate that Yates was able to spend a few days recently with his old friend Gearld Fry and watched Gearld work the cows he was selling.

Johnny attended the very first NADA organizational meeting in Dallas and was named our Breeder of the Year 2007. His courage and great spirit in the face of this terrible disease has been an inspiration to all of us. After a series of strokes and because of difficulty breathing, doctors finally were forced to induce a coma. He regained consciousness several hours before his death and was able to say good by to his family and friends, including Deb and Cam Manahan. Our prayers go out for Johnny’s wife, Jeanette, and their family.

 

Board Approves Agenda for Annual Meeting…

Meeting in Kansas City recently, the NADA Board approved final details of our Newport, Rhode Island get-together October 17 – 19. Last year’s meeting was a sellout and we recommend you set aside the Fall weekend now…maybe even some extra days to enjoy Newport and the surrounding coastal area.

The conference theme is “Gourmet Beef on Grass: How to Make Money – Now!” The first morning will be devoted to the kinds of cows and bulls you should choose and the pasture they should be raised on. The full afternoon will feature practical advice on how to market your animals…or your meat.

That night, there’ll be a BBQ and the Select Sale. Yes, under cover this year so don’t worry about rain! The sale ring will be under the lights and surrounded by bleachers. The Nats aren’t the only ones with a new stadium! Animal viewing areas will be in open but covered sheds. And yes, plenty of time (2 hours) set aside to look at the animals and renew acquaintances and make new friends.

The second day, we’ll move to Watson Farm and enjoy the hospitality of Don and Heather Minto. Their farm is situated on a beautiful island and features some of the best Devon you’ll ever see. The Minto’s…like Mike Scannell and Joan Harris last year at Harrier Fields Farm…do things right and you’ll learn a lot about nutrition, minerals and pasture as well as breeding. Of course, there’ll be food and fun and and opportunity to pick our guest experts’ brains.

Backing up, the weekend begins Friday afternoon at 5 with the annual meeting followed by the opening banquet. Plan on arriving in Providence or Boston by midday, October 17th. In coming weeks we’ll be filling out the details, so you’ll want to check back here often. And when we say it’s time to register for the event and the hotel, we recommend you get right on it. Again, space is going to be limited.

Speaking of Meetings…

“Grasstravaganza” was a big success in Binghampton, NY with more than 300 pasture-based farmers attending. You can read the story from Lancaster Farming by clicking here.

My Drought is Worse than Your Drought….

…that’s the report from Australia. The good-natured competition (well, mostly) between the Aussies and Kiwis is legendary. Bob Crawford, the president of the Australian Devon Association, noted the report we had on drought conditions in New Zealand at Ken McDowall’s Rotokawa Farm. Bob sent along a picture so we could all see what a “real drought” looks like. This is a contest ED is happy to lose.

Not-So-Perfect Food…

A fascinating article about Nature’s so-called “perfect food” was spotted by Dr. Carolyn Matthews in Harvard Magazine. Milk may have been perfect once but that was before our scientists decided Nature wasn’t always right. A series of studies link a number of increased cancer rates to increased milk consumption. You can read the article by clicking here.

There’s a companion study noted by Dr. Joseph Mercola in his health newsletter dealing with the benefits of CLA. Could there be a link? Could our pasteurized, homogenized, fortified milk really be less than the “perfect food”?

There is a new reason why it may be beneficial to allow cows to graze on pasture. That reason involves a compound called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

CLA is a fatty acid found in beef and dairy fats. Scientific interest in CLA was stimulated in 1988 when a University of Wisconsin researcher discovered its cancer-fighting properties in a study of rats fed fried hamburger. CLA cannot be produced by the human body, but it can be obtained through foods such as whole milk, butter, beef, and lamb.

"The interesting thing is that dairy cattle that graze produce higher amounts of CLA in their milk than those which receive conserved feed, such as grain, hay, and silage," says Agricultural Research dairy scientist Larry Satter. This is true even when the nongrazers eat pasture grass conserved as hay.

Satter, who was based at the Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin, conducted a study comparing the amount of CLA in milk from cows grazing on pasture to the amount from cows fed hay or silage.

His findings: Pasture-grazed cows had 500% more CLA in their milk than those fed silage.

Meanwhile, the FDA continues its crackdown and harassment of small farmers producing raw milk. Some of the raids on raw milk suppliers have been truly Gestapo-like and a harbinger of the NAIS enforcement to come. Read the story by clicking here.

You’ll recall that the government has just upped the budget for FDA enforcement agents. Supposedly these extra folks are going to keep a closer watch on the big meat packers. After all, there’s been a virtual epidemic of bad beef from Big Ag. But the cynic in ED wonders if the target really will turn out to be the small farmer.

Board Meets in Kansas City…

The board of the North American Devon Association this week conducted a complete review of operations and plans for the future in a day-long session at Kansas City. While there were major changes in the structure of the Association, the principle focus of the meeting was ways in which NADA can increase the size of the Devon herd in this country without any sacrifice in quality.

To improve communication and service, NADA established 9 regions with chairmen in each instructed to not only welcome new members but aid current members. The 9 regions and their chairmen are:

I Northeast – Don Minto – watsonfarm1796@yahoo.com

II. East – Mike Scannell – harrierfields.aol.com

III Mid-Atlantic – David Schoumacher – david@thistlehill.net

IV Southeast – Jeff Moore – bigmocattle@alltel.net

V South – Deb Manahan – fivemfarm@yahoo.com

VI Midwest – Cathy Morris – ellac1@juno.com

VII Northwest – Steve Campbell – trinityc3@frontier.net

VIII West – Ridge Shinn – ridge@bakewellrepro.com

IX Canada – Brady Wobeser – swbw2000@yahoo.com

If you have questions, you can look not only to NADA President Gearld Fry and the NADA board, but contact the above chairmen.

The board also elected Jeff Moore of West Dixie, Georgia as vice-president replacing Charlie Sydnor of North Carolina, who resigned because of the press of personal business.

Among other actions, the board

1. Re-worded the NADA Mission Statement to better reflect the aims of the organization. It now reads: The North American Devon Association promotes the purity and propagation of Devon cattle as an integral part of a sustainable, grass-based farming system for the production of wholesome, high quality food.
2. Confirmed the agenda for the Annual Meeting and Select Sale, which will be held near Newport, Rhode Island October 17 – 19. Details will be posted here next week.
3. Developed programs to fulfill the new Mission Statement in the areas of Standards, Education, Promotion and Marketing.
4. Established a Scholarship Program for Junior members.
5. Laid the groundwork for a President’s Citation program, designating outstanding bulls and cows in the Devon breed.
6. Set-up an embryo partnership program for new members who are having trouble finding females to start their herds.

There’s more, and we’ll have the details as we go along, but meanwhile here are some pictures of your board at work.

 

A Proud Papa…

…you know you’re at a Devon meeting when the pictures being proudly shared are not of grandchildren, but of new calves. This was Mike Scannell’s new bull calf at Harrier Fields Farm in New York. He’s one-day old in the picture….an embryo calf sired by Rotokawa 974 out of a Rotokawa cow.

 

Sustaining the Family Farm…

…that’s the theme of a Guest Blog from John Ikerd.. His contribution may be the best summary we’ve seen of what it takes to have a sustaininable operation. Ikerd is professor emeritus in Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri and a frequent contributor to Small Farm Today. Read Ikerd’s blog by clicking here.

 

They’re Talking About Us…

We see more and more stories like this one in the Palm Beach (FL) Post this week. You might want to email it to your friends; even include it in your marketing kits.

 

Would Monsanto Do that?

One of the things reporters used to worry about, back when they reported, is being used by apparently public-spirited grassroots organizations supporting apparently good causes. If you look behind the curtain, you often find something else at work. The people selling artificial growth hormones to spur milk production in dairy cows have been getting bad press in recent years but now a citizens group has joined in supporting Monsanto’s Posilac. Oh, wait a minute….it’s Monsanto that’s supporting Monsanto. (click here)

Rabies in Cattle?

It can happen. NADA member Sue Beal, who is a holistic veterinarian, sends along this notice from the State Veterinarian in West Virginia.

State quarantines Hampshire County cattle farm
- ----------------------------------------------
Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass has quarantined a Hampshire County cattle farm after two cows tested positive for rabies.

A total of 6 people are undergoing rabies treatments as a precaution, although none showed any signs of the disease.

State Veterinarian Joe Starcher says 3 animals recently died on the farm but the 1st one was not tested for rabies.

Douglass said Friday [28 Mar 2008] that none of the 85 animals left in the herd will be allowed off the farm until the risk can be adequately assessed.

Rabies is an infectious virus that attacks the nervous system and is usually fatal unless treated.

Sue says if you raise cattle for show, or they are pets (a temptation with the docile Devon) it would be a good idea to vaccinate them against this fatal disease.

The Perfect Storm…

...is the phrase Allan Nation substitutes for Kit Pharo’s “The Tipping Point” we talked about recently. Both men say the traditional grain-fed cattle industry is in for the roughest period it has ever seen….and soon.

In his Stockman Grass Farmer blog, Nation says a combination of factors---increased global animal protein demand, a weak dollar, reduced global grain stocks, ethanol grain demand, high crude oil costs, a weakening American economy and increased commodities speculation---was creating this "perfect storm”.

“The American Feed Industry Association said the combination of increased global animal protein demand, a weak dollar, reduced global grain stocks, ethanol grain demand, high crude oil costs, a weakening American economy and increased commodities speculation was creating a "perfect storm" for America’s grain fed livestock industry.

“JP Morgan food analyst, Pablo Zuanic, told Meatingplace yesterday that he predicted a whopping 98 percent rise in wheat prices in 2008, a 78 percent increase in soybean prices and an additional 58 percent increase over corn’s current price. The net result of these price increases would be an increase in total grain fed food production costs of 47 percent! He said the slowing economy would prevent the pass through of these rising feed costs to the consumer. He said only very strong consumer brands would be able to make price increases stick.”

Nation has a few other items in his blog that dispel the idea that cattlemen are suddenly getting rich because of higher prices. Read the whole thing by clicking here.

 

The Blame Game…

…is well underway, of course. Ag broadcaster/columnist Trent Loos says, “I can say without one shred of doubt that the dynamics of agriculture in 2008 will be unlike anything I have witnessed in my lifetime.”

Loos says the popular press, repeating the spin of the giant Food Industry, has determined that the culprit in higher food prices is the farmer. The “popular wisdom” is that increased demand overseas, oil prices and ethanol have all combined to drive up meat prices. Beef, so it is said, is up 6.8% and pork is up 8.3% in the past year.

But according to Loos, the live weight for beef is up $1.70 per hundredweight…less than 2%! So somebody other than the cattleman is getting 3/4s of the increased income.

The story is even more dramatic for pork. The price may have gone up 8.3% in the past year, but pork producers are actually seeing a drop in live hog sales of $5.60 per hundred weight…a decline of 14% in their revenue!

The temptation may be to blame the feed lot and the packer, but Loos offers some stunning numbers that pin the responsibility for higher prices at the meat counter: on the retailer.

“From 2002 until 2006, the retail beef price spread from the packer to the retailer was $760 per head. For the calendar year 2007, the packer-retailer spread was $780 per head. Compare that to the current spread of $840 per head. If we take a look at the live to retail spread one year ago it was $915 per head and today in March 2008, it is $975 per head.

“Now it doesn't take much cowboy arithmetic to figure out that the folks who own the live cattle are not reaping the rewards of higher meat prices."

You can read the Loos column in the High Plains Journal by clicking here.

 

No, It’s Not the Grass…

…which is usually what skeptics say in dismissing the incredible performance of those Rotokawa bulls in New Zealand. Breeder Ken MacDowall made it clear at last year’s meeting of the North American Devon Association that his animals were actually thriving on pasture that was poorer than what he was seeing in the US.

And that’s the report of NADA member David Nortunen, who recently visited the Rotokawa Farm. David, who has been adding Rotokawa genetics to his herd in Marengo, Wisconson, was so excited by what he saw that we asked him to expand his report for our Info page readers.

Here’s David’s email plus some pictures:

It's hard to summarize a trip like this in a paragraph or two. I would really need to sit down with a couple pitchers of beer to do the experience any justice. But here are some of my general observations.

 

Ken is in the midst of a pretty severe drought, and it was extremely dry in the paddocks. Some had virtually no grass left. He had just started feeding a square bale a day to each of the breeding herds (roughly 20 head). All of the cows except one were in very good condition, and the one was going to be culled. I came away very impressed at how well his cattle looked on very limited forage, and I definitely want to continue to use his genetics.

In spite of this, the bulls were in unbelievably good condition. 93 was so fat I would hate to see what he looks like on good grass. He was just “roly-poly”. It's one thing to have great looking bulls with corn and quite another to make them work on a dry pasture and still have them look this great.

I was also amazed at the country that he calves in. When he says they have to go up over a hill to get water, he doesn't mean a hill. It's a dang mountain. 4-wheelers struggle on it and can only go certain places. They primarily use dirt bikes to negotiate the steep terrain. Trucks would not be able to go over most of it and forget about a tractor or implements. Ken uses airplanes to deliver fertilizer to that paddock.

These animals have to be sure footed or they'll fall off the side of the mountain and die. In fact, Ken told me he had a neighbor that at one point had around a 10% death loss due to falling down hillsides. He crossed those cows with a Devon bull of Ken's and that virtually eliminated the death loss, which had been mainly due to the animals “spooking”.

 

667 Son	688 Pensioner

Ken also found a little time to take me fishing. We spent one morning on the lake fishing in his boat and then spent the afternoon and all of the next day fly fishing streams. I had a great time, caught several fish but, of course, was an excellent guest and allowed Ken to catch all the big fish, including a 10 ¾ pound rainbow trout!

A letter like this wouldn't be complete without mentioning the unbelievable hospitality that Ken and Prue bestowed on me. In fact I'm still going through tea withdrawal. I really miss those 4 course breakfasts and the pudding deserts. They went completely out of their way to make sure I felt at home. Well, I could go on and on, but in the interest of getting this email out to you, I'll just cut it short here. Maybe I'll post an update sometime down the road. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I would highly recommend the trip to anyone.

Best wishes, David

 

Selecting for Tenderness…

Big Ag continues to wrestle with the mystery of where beef quality went and how to get it back. NADA President Gearld Fry says it’s no mystery; old-time cattlemen solved it a long time ago. Read his blog by clicking here.

It’s That Time of Year Again…

 

…there’ve been a lot of rainy days this winter but, if you’re like ED, you suspect that total rainfall has been inadequate and we could well be looking forward to another dry year. There are some government reports that seem to confirm it.

While the outlook in much of the country is improved, and the grass is greening up, things are looking grim in the Southeast again.

If you didn’t “bookmark” them last year, here are two links you may want to keep at hand as we move into the grass growing season.

Click here for the Drought Monitor

Click here for Precipitation Totals

 

The 1,400 Mile Bull Drive…

...a drive that marked a milestone in NADA President Gearld Fry’s vision of restoring Devon to its place among the top tier of the nation’s cattle breeds. Fry’s trip started in New Hampshire and like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed, he made stops along the way picking up and delivering top quality Devon bulls. Several days later he was back home in Arkansas, mission accomplished. Here’s his report:

Over the past 10 years I have encouraged breeders to abandon the cross- or heterosis- type breeding in creating herd bulls. I urged that not just for the pure bred herds, but for the commercial cow-calf producer as well. Using heterosis-free bulls on commercial cows can then mean the full impact of heterosis or 25% extra growth.

But creating a heterosis-free bull means concentrating a high level of paternal genetics in the bull’s pedigree. Bakewell Repro Center and our co-operating cattlemen began line-breeding our cows five years back. The result of countless hours, days and months culminated at the NADA Conference and Select Sale last October. The prices paid for the cows from double-line bred bulls caused a rush for the sires.

Fellow Arkansas cattleman Greg Hickl purchased a number of the females at the Select Sale, but he really had his eye on those bulls. Finally, working with Bakewell’s partners Mike Scannell and Tom Cope, Hickl was able to purchase a bull from each of the major paternal lineages of the Rotokawa herd.

Scannell had three particularly outstanding bulls: Abraham a double bred 688 offspring, Noah, double bred 667 and Joshua, a 982 son. Cope had a double line bred bull out of 982. Hickl wanted that kind of bull power to upgrade his commercial herd of 250 cows and to launch his own Devon operation. Recognizing the potential of these bulls to produce superior calves, Greg plunked down $8000 for each one.

Tom Cope and I left New Hampshire the morning of February 25th with three bulls, went straight to the Bakewell Reproductive Center in Massachusetts and picked up 2 of 12 bulls that John Ravenscroft of Nenzel, Nebraska had ordered, then went on to Mike Scannell and Joan Harris’ to load Abraham and Joshua. After a fine home-cured pork dinner we headed for John and Darla McCormick’s and picked up two more bulls.

In Pennsylvania, the McCormick’s warned us that a heavy snow was on the way, so we kept going. After pushing all night to stay ahead of the snow, we finally stopped at Arthur Young’s just south of Louisville, Kentucky. There we unloaded the bulls for a couple of hours, gave them hay and water and fed ourselves as well. Arthur had purchased one of the McCormick bulls and we left him there, loaded the rest back in the trailer and headed to Nashville, Tennessee to rendezvous with Randall Hasting of Bay Monett, Alabama who had purchased the other McCormick bull.

Close to home now. Rose Bud Arkansas by midnight, unloaded the bulls in my pasture, and tumbled into bed for a sound, if too-short six hour nap. First thing the next morning, it was back into the truck for Tom and me and into the trailer with the remaining bulls. A short time later, Greg and Lavon Hickl had their prize herd sires!

Tom stayed with the Hickl’s for a few days. He had brought along some milking equipment and helped them set it up for the family Jersey cow. Greg also gave Tom a tour of his beautiful Foush River valley farm.

When Tom returned to Rose Bud, we did a quick tour of my herd and then loaded a bull destined for Jerry Peele in New York. My work was done, at least for the moment, and Tom later reported the drive home was uneventful.

 

Cope Bull	Joshua	Unloading in Arkansas
New Diggs	Cope & Hickl's	Getting Settled

The Cow Whisperer…

Looking at the pictures Gearld took at Harrier Fields Farm reminds us of the unique talent Mike Scannell and particularly Joan Harris have with their animals. Devon are docile but Joan demonstrates a touch with the herd that is a delight to share. Here are a few more pictures of the Harrier Fields stop….

 

The Tipping Point…

That’s the point Kit Pharo thinks we’re at in the cattle business. It’s a point we made recently talking about OFFs, old-fashioned farmers who are on the endangered species list.

I believe the beef industry is at a major tipping point. The production model for the current beef industry was based on cheap grain and cheap fuel. Times have changed. The era of cheap grain and cheap fuel is over. What has worked for the past ten years won’t work for the next ten years.

Producers MUST reduce their dependency on fossil fuel and fossil fuel products.

The price of corn, wheat, soybeans, hay and other livestock feeds are all on the increase, and it doesn't look as though this trend will end soon.

Interest in grass-based genetics and grass-finished beef is growing at an unbelievable rate. Yes, it is possible to produce great-tasting, highly-marbled beef without feeding grain. Unfortunately, finding genetics that work well in a grass-based program is not easy in today's corn-based genetic pool.

People hate change! Most people won’t change until they are forced to change. However, those who are quickest to adapt and change will always have a competitive advantage over everyone else. Those who are slow to change may be forced out of business.

Change and Opportunity…

In his latest Viewpoint, NADA board member Bill Roberts sees this time of change as an opportunity for Devon. With consumers increasingly demanding grass fed meat, and OFFs being forced to face the future, Roberts says we’re uniquely positioned to respond.

Read Viewpoint by clicking here.

 

The Old-Fashioned Farmer, R.I.P…..

…now, we don’t mean the OFFs forced-off their farms over the past 50 years by the government in the name of “modern efficiency”. We mean the ones remaining, who are about to be engulfed by a tidal wave. Actually, if you look down, you can see the water is already up to their knees.

We might subtitle this post “Do A Friend A Favor”, because we recommend you point your neighbors, if they qualify as OFFs, to this website. Or better yet, print off what follows and hand it to them.

You can easily spot an OFF….he’s the one still spreading, spraying, inoculating, immunizing, drenching, feeding, haying and just generally cowboy-ing around on his big tractor like there’s no tomorrow. And there isn’t. OFFs have resisted change based on “it will be good for everyone” but there’s a slight chance now they are beginning to realize they need a life-saver and it would be neighborly of you to throw them one.

We set the stage with the latest political blast at what passes for a government energy policy: ethanol. Read a quick summary of the indictment by clicking here.

Of course, not only will it cost more and more for feed and fertilizer…cost more to tool around on the Deere…but subsidizing this ethanol “fix” is going to cost everyone billions more in higher taxes.

But with higher direct costs…and higher indirect costs…the bottom line is inescapable: what worked for Daddy and Granddaddy, ain’t gonna work for Junior. Even a few people in the Ag Establishment are seeing the light. Read “Graze or Die” by clicking here.

NADA President Gearld Fry has written a number of articles on this, of course. For a short course, we commend the latest from his own website: “Lost With the Generations”. (click here)

Now if any OFFs are still with us, hang on. A couple of quick thoughts from two contributors which are more on topic than may be apparent at first glance.

Here’s veterinarian, cattleman and advisor to Thousand Hills Beef, Dr. Will Winter:

When I graduated from Kansas State University in 1968 I got one of the last degrees in ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. At the time I hardly noticed the sea change that was underway as my education progressed. Shortly thereafter, the program was switched to its current title: ANIMAL SCIENCE. Can you feel the difference?

That has been one of Gearld Fry’s themes: that farming all began to go terribly wrong when Ag schools switched to calling their offerings “Animal Science”. And about the same time many of us started looking for something more glamorous to call ourselves than “farmers”. In another walk of life, salesmen decided they wanted the title “account executives”. It’s a point made by Darrell Emmick:

"From what I have observed if was it not for the influence of abundant, cheap, and readily available oil, confinement-based dairy production, along with most of the practices associated with it, would never have come to be.

"Staying close to the natural processes, which have in fact fostered and evolved life for millions of years would still be viewed as undisputable wisdom and would have remained the foundation of all dairy production systems in the USA.

"However, because oil was so cheap, plentiful, and readily available, farmers were
convinced that "NATURAL" had outlived its value in modern agriculture, and by the way, so had the term "FARMER".

"As agriculture became more mechanical, technological, and forced, the term "DAIRY FARMER" gave way to the term "DAIRY PRODUCER" and along with that change in name, anything remaining of an agriculture based on natural processes all but vanished".

There’s a real life echo of Emmick’s point---what might be called the “scientification” of farming in a Letter to the Editor we spotted in the Kansas City Star:

The recent meat recall of 143-million pounds of processed beef of the Westland Meat Packing Co., Chino, CA. is just the tip of the iceberg. Most viewers of the clips shown on TV probably just saw cattle being abused. Well, there is more to this situation.

Those were Holstein cows. They were probably only 4-5 years old. The average number of lactations for cows in those mega dairies is only 1.6 not the "several years" as stated in Sunday’s (March 2) , Behind the Beef Recall . They start calving at age two, and because they are forced to produce the maximum pounds of milk possible with the help of a biweekly injection of Monsanto's growth hormone rBGH or rBST, they only last for a short time.

The mega dairies (1000-10,000 cows) are constantly replacing used up cows, and that's where the Westland Packing Co becomes the final player in this disgusting situation. Dairy cows in our small, well managed herds typically last for 8-10 lactations, some even longer.

Yes, the meat processing plant was at fault, but as usual, the government will focus mistakenly on this, and will pay no attention to the thing that is causing this problem. The federal and some state governments are currently stifling attempts to label milk that has been produced not using the growth hormone. If dairies were allowed to label their milk as hormone free, it would allow consumers to vote with their pocket book, and this situation would change quickly. Much quicker than any ballot box vote.

Art Ozias

We Get Letters Too…

…well at least Gearld shared one of his. His recent column argued that a cow with butterfat-rich milk was not only a good milker but a tasty beef animal and that provoked this reaction from a New Farmer. (We should now finally explain that we are operating here under the theme “Everything Old is New Again”….so a New Farmer is someone old-enough to remember and have actually practiced consumer-, farmer-, cow- and earth-friendly farming.) Here’s part of the note from Scott Medlock:

Gearld,

I have been "watching" you for some time now. Right after seeing you
on RFD-TV and recalling the practices that we used on our old family
farm when I was but a sprout.. Well, a 12yr old sprout that owned
100 head of cattle.

In reference to your latest "Ask Gerald" I more than agree with you.
We supplied Bulls to a dairy farmer who was using Brown Swiss cattle.
We bought the bulk of the calves back at a reduced price (since we
supplied free bulls).

And we always ended up with great beef. Using our old line Hereford
Bulls with Dairy Momma's gave us an edge up. My Grandfather said that having
loads and loads of good milk for the calves with the Hereford for the
meat portion was a real advantage. It was, as over half our sales were in
locker beef instead of the sale barn.

The other advantage is that our corn was sold for cash and a little
extra feed for the chickens... never for the cows. We had pasture
and haymaking for that.

Scott Medlock
Wiesenbach Farms
http://www.medlock.net/wb/

ED suggests you check out Scott’s website. It’s an excellent model.

In sum, good neighbor, it just isn’t working…and it’s about to get a whole lot worse. There is some consolation in seeing that even a few professors of animal science are beginning to worry. But NADA Board Member Steve Campbell studies one recent Ag School handout and concludes the “scientists are “Talking the Talk, Walking Off a Cliff”. Read Steve’s latest blog by clicking here.

 

The Tax Man Cometh…

This is the time of the year when we get to show the government our appreciation for all they’ve done for us…and aren’t we generous tippers? We’re indebted to American Cowman for this article containing tips for preparing your tax returns. We particularly wanted you to note that attending professional meetings such as the NADA annual conference coming in October just outside Newport, Rhode Island helps convince the IRS that you’re serious about your farming business. No one ever said this was a commercial-free zone! (click here)