Gary Hill found out the importance of soil testing the hard way. The University of Georgia animal scientist works with Tifton 85 bermudagrass at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, as well as on his own cattle operation. He started noticing stand losses in the highly productive forage.

The small-scale effort has large aims, according to one of the project leaders. Associate Professor Dan Buskirk said in addition to verifying whether the beef came from a local source, shoppers eventually could use a smart phone or kiosk to find out if it came from grass-fed, grain-fed or hormone-free cattle.

The St. Louis, MO-company reported last Wednesday its net income rose to $680 million, or $1.26 per share, for the quarter ended May 31, compared with $384 million, or 70 cents a share, a year ago. It says revenue increased 21 percent to $3.59 billion..

Kay Richardson generally culls his cows at fall weaning. But they best be looking sharp year-round because for this producer, culling never ends.

Take 90 F, add in about 98 percent humidity, and when you start to feel like youre wading through the day, you begin to see what cattlemen like Darrel Haynes deal with all summer long.

Southeast producers are realizing they need to move their calves to save the cows. In some places, cattlemen are down to little or no forage at all and other feed sources are all in short supply. That report, from John Moseley Jr., marks a shift in the mindset of southeast cattlemen this year and another turning point for the market.

Big ethanol has enough clout in Congress and in the Obama administration to keep growing with U.S. government support, even though decades of large tax credits may be winding down.

A complex combination of factors seems to bring on the condition. �The incidence of grass tetany is usually highest in the early spring,� says Lemenager. �Grass is lush, vegetative and has a high moisture and fatty acid content. Forages are usually low in magnesium and the soil is high in potassium and nitrogen.

Less than a year ago, $4 corn sounded sweet enough to sell. Many farmers forward contracted only to see futures prices balloon past $7. Thats increasing the temptation to default. Before you do, consider the legal and financial consequences.

More than half of the nations cow herd is struggling to survive through a drought that continues to spread across the southern Plains, and now the Southeast. Its a situation thats left many producers, especially those in Texas and New Mexico, looking for ways to hang on until its time for fall rains to set in.