No Till on the Plains Conference Coming January 24 and 25 

The No-till on the Plains Winter Conference is back at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas for its 16th consecutive year! "Building a Solid Foundation" is the theme for the Tuesday - Wednesday, January 24-25, 2012 continuous no-till meeting.

"Building a Solid Foundation" refers to the many pieces that come together to form a solid, successful system that focuses on soil health, fertility, profits, holistic management, advanced agronomy, equipment needs, grazing, and the importance of crop rotations, including the increasingly valuable management of cover crops. 


Why would a producer want to attend this conference? No-till on the Plains has built its reputation and its foundation on educating, informing, and inspiring those who work with this organization. From an educational standpoint, No-till on the Plains gathers the best information and speakers available so producers can be successful with their farm operations. You will have access to tips and management practices from tremendously successful continuous no-tillers. The ability to network with fellow producers, scientists, and exhibitors is also an invaluable part of No Till on the Plains. 


We talked with Brian Lindley about the 2012 event- and you can hear our full converation- as well have links for the complete agenda and registration by clicking here.

2011 A Record-Setting Year for KCBT HRW Wheat Futures 

The Kansas City Board of Trade set new annual volume records in 2011 for Hard Red Winter wheat futures and for the exchange as a whole.

A total of 6,582,673 contracts were traded at the KCBT in 2011, setting a new record with a 15.5 percent increase over the 5,697,874 contracts traded in 2010.

In the HRW wheat futures contract, a total of 6,342,782 contracts were traded, which also set a new annual volume record over 2010 volume with a 14.3 percent increase.

Click here for more on our website- plus a link over to some charts about the year's volume.

New Research: Using Less Bedding Can Benefit In-Transit Market Pigs

In a new study, funded by the Pork Checkoff, researchers at Texas Tech and Iowa State universities found that the pork industry can generally use less bedding year-round that it currently does while improving overall animal well-being - a breakthrough finding that could save the industry an estimated $10.1 million per year.

John McGlone, a swine researcher at Texas Tech University and principal researcher for the study, along with Anna Butters-Johnson an Iowa State University researcher, looked at various rates of bedding in semi-trailers at different times of year and in different locations throughout the Midwest. This approach provided data representing cold, mild and hot weather.


Specifically, the research trials showed that groups of pigs headed to market can experience lower mortality rates in warm weather and overall improved well-being year-round when less bedding is used in transport trailers. According to McGlone, the current standard in the industry is to use four bales of bedding per semi-trailer. 

Click here for more details on this research that could result in better conditions for the pigs being moved as producers are able to save money in the process.

Food Channel Suggests Ten Big Trends for the New Year

They call them their annual perspective on the world of food- I guess you might say that they are voicing concepts that are both hot and cool at the same time.

Their top ranked Food Trend of the new year is called Black Market Foods.   They write about this trend "No, we're not talking about anything illegal here. What we're talking about is the growing use of intentional scarcity and limited supplies of items that serve only to drive up their popularity. After all, if we humans are told there is something that's really hard to get, we immediately want it. The Black Friday limited-supply "doorbusters" are a good example-so is the McRib. There's sort of a reverse psychology going on here."

To me- the most intriguing trend highlighted by the Food Channel is their number 7. It's The New Agri-Chef.  "Along with health concerns, food safety concerns, and old fashioned flavor, you have a new breed of chefs that simply like to cook with what they've grown. Expect to see this move beyond simple herb gardens or rooftop displays and into some full-fledged branded farms."

To review all ten trends- click here and enjoy.

J D Alexander Ready to Take the Reins of NCBA in 2012 

As a preamble to the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show that begins right at the very end of this month- we offer an earlier interview we did with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's President Elect J D ALexander. He is a Nebraska cattle producer who will step into role of President of the group at the end of the Convention that will be happening in Nashville at Opryland Hotel.

We talk about his role in the cattle business- some of the wins that the cattle industry has enjoyed this past year- as well as the challenges that lie ahead

JD has been our guest for the past couple of days on our daily Beef Buzz as heard on our radio stations across Oklahoma and our neighboring states- and we have a special online- cyberspace version of the Beef Buzz that offers our full interview with this cattle industry leader. 

Click here to jump over to our website for a chance to hear this visit with JD Alexander.

Get Ready Now to Help Mother Nature- as Needed- With a Colostrum Replacer or Supplement

Although February and March are still a few weeks away, looking ahead to the spring calving season requires that producers be prepared for those situations where mother-nature needs a little boost- so says Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist. Beef cow calf producers occasionally will need to provide commercial colostrum to baby calves that are born to two-year old heifers with very little milk, or to calves after a difficult birth.

Some of these calves are very sluggish and slow to get up and find the teat. Therefore, they may not get the colostrum that they need to achieve successful passive transfer unless colostrum is provided by the cattle manager. Knowing which products to use in different situations can be very helpful. Colostrum supplements are less expensive to purchase than colostrum replacers, but they may not be the best choice for the situation at hand

Click here for more on this important Mama Cow Herd Production tip from our friend Glen Selk,

Linda Broadie Services This Afternoon in Ashland, Kansas

After a battle with cancer, Linda Broadie from southwest Kansas died earlier this week.  Linda is the wife of Bill Broadie, who we have spotlighted before as the founder of the All American Beef Batallion.

Funeral services will be held on this afternoon at 1:30 PM in Ashland, Kansas. The All American Beef Batallion will feed people who attend at the American Legion in Ashland, Kansas from approximately11:30 to 12:30 PM. The service will immediately follow at 1:30 PM. Linda asked that any donations in memory be given to the All American Beef Batallion.

The All American Beef Batallion is the cattle industry's way to say thank you and Godspeed to our troops and their families. 

If you want more information about this tremendous program- and how you can make a donation in the name of this special lady- click here for the All American Beef Batallion website.