Midwest Messenger

Cost to raise a cow could top $1K, according to Kansas economics professor

In 2014, it cost $879 to run a cow, compared to $852 in 2021. In 2022, it will be up by more than $100 per cow to $963.

Auction Calendar - December 9, 2022

DECEMBER

What is Wagyu? Menu could mean full-blooded Waygu or not

"It is important to know what is on the shelves of the box store and what’s being served at restaurants so you know if the price being asked is appropriate."

New adventures come with grazing rented stalks

The cost of fencing has gone sky high. As for the price of insulators, let’s just say I make a much greater effort to locate them when they are knocked off the post.

Calving time full of surprises at Brichacek farm

"It was a sight worth a million words to watch her caring for that calf. It’s one of those moments that made me love the livestock industry even more."

Nebraska farm through generations to focus on soil health, cover crops

“It’s kind of like my mid-life crisis is trying so many things on the farm before my time runs out.”

Appreciate the special moments of the season

"Sunrises and sunsets here continue to be my favorite part of the day. ... That’s a great reminder for me that everything is temporary. What feels big in one moment is gone in the next, and each season brings something different for us."

Cattle find their place on regenerative ranch

Michael Thompson and his brother Brian were told there wasn’t a future for them at Thompson Farm & Ranch. However, the avid learner and experimenter knew there had to be a different (and more profitable) way to grow crops and raise cattle.

Taking the weekends off

"I pulled onto the highway, and once I had gone about a quarter of a mile I saw smoke billowing from the back end of my passenger side." After which, Jaclyn vows to take the weekends off.

The three stages of harvest

The first few days of harvest is almost like Christmas morning, except it requires many trips to town with a coffee can or ice cream bucket full of grain.

Tough times can lead to better things

"I had a reader inform me that “Americans are spoiled.” If spoiled means I’m stressing over trying to run a successful business instead of having the government do it for me, I’ll wear that badge."

A tale of two cats

On the farm, outdoor cats come and go as frequently as the Nebraska wind. On occasion we are blessed to have certain cats stay for extended periods, but more likely than not our feline friends are here for a year or two and then poof! They’re gone.

Harvest delays and small victories

There is nothing more miserable than not being able to harvest when the weather is good. It’s kind of like being grounded when you were a kid.

Latest Video

New technology coming for 2023 post-harvest season

Reminisce Angus Ranch

Examining an air seeder

Transferring to Next Generation

BigIron auction gets bigger

Starting out as Stock Auctions in 1984, BigIron Auctions has grown into one of the biggest names in online auctions.

A vacation from the ranch but not from livestock

From a Mediterranean Equestrian Tour to an Irish sale barn, Jaclyn's time away from the ranch is never spent far from livestock.

Dealing with the creepy-crawlies

It froze hard last week – and I’m glad. I knew it was coming because in the days before the great chill I’d been dealing with all kinds of creepy-crawlies trying to find a way into my house when I’d much prefer they stay outside and die a seasonal death.

Missing Dad in the combine seat

"Harvest is a bittersweet time for me. As much as I enjoy harvest, Dad loved it even more. ... This year marks the fifth year he has not been on the combine."

Will winter bring drought relief?

With drought plaguing large swaths of Nebraska and Kansas, the latest winter forecast is offering little certainty that relief is on the way.

It’s been hot all over

Midwest Messenger correspondent Barb Bierman Batie and her husband, Don, recently returned from nine days in Europe where they visited farming friends in four countries. All were impacted by severe drought this summer. She shares their first-hand crop report.

More than donations needed to keep 4-H Camp alive

Singing silly songs around a glowing campfire. Overcoming fears zip lining through a forest of trees. Overlooking the Sandhills from a 50-foot lookout tower.

Nebraska ranchers, farmers struggle against 5th worst drought on record

“We’re hoping to catch snow with it this winter,. You know farmers, we’re eternal optimists.”

Diet goals: More meat

I’ve been on a tangent lately. It happens occasionally, so it should really come as no surprise.

Just when everything is going well...

Did you ever have one of those days when everything was going well? Maybe too good, and you just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Pondering over the past

I am in the middle of my fall calving season. It is amazing how much different fall calving is, especially checking the cows in a t-shirt or waiting for it to cool off before you check them. Of course, you pay for that advantage by feeding the little buggers all winter.