Articles
Genetic bootstraps
Each time you buy a bull, keep a heifer or cull a cow, you choose a future for your herd and, collectively, for a beef industry that is either blessed or burdened with high prices.
RELATED CONTENTWe've come so far
In this day and age, would you buy a sedan that only got 13 miles per gallon?
RELATED CONTENTThe business of social media
In Kindergarten, the report cards at my school simply listed S (satisfactory) or N (needs improvement). The only time I ever got an N was for talking too much.
Black Ink column
I am writing all of you as a response to the recent refusal of Bp. Michael Smith to grant me a license to fulfill my ordination vows in the state of North Dakota. The reason he has refused me has nothing to do with my character, nor my skills and gifts of ministry. His reason is that my life partner, whom God has given me to love and cherish is a woman and not a man.
Columns
Reputation beef
There’s Midwestern nice and Southern charm. New York has its bright city lights and there’s the West Coast sunshine.
Top grades and relationships
Nobody likes to be told that they’ve done a bad job. Think of the situation-comedy or movie scene: a junior high student has worked for weeks on a final science report or English paper, eagerly awaiting the grade. When the teacher delivers it, she shakes her head in disappointment. The young one’s heart sinks, seeing a big red “C” — or worse — at the top of the paper.
Programming for profit
You won’t score many bonus points by suggesting similarities between the women in your life and females of the bovine persuasion, but looking at just such a comparison might help your cowherd and calf crop.
Sorting out your cattle sorting system
Low-stress cattle handling is becoming a mainstream practice, but have you ever thought about the ultimate low-stress sorting system — right from your computer?
BLACK INK: No boundaries
In a snow globe, the white flakes drift peacefully on a quiet farmyard. When cattlemen trudge through four-foot snow drifts in 30-mile-per-hour winds and single-digit temperatures to check on a sick calf, it isn’t exactly the same picture of serenity. At that moment, Northern producers must think they must live in the toughest place in the world for raising cattle.
BLACK INK: Give calves a clue
Imagine you’re suddenly snatched up from your daily routine and dropped off on a New York City street. You’re alone, with no cell phone, no wallet and no map.
Quality in the fast lane
At the local café two cattlemen are discussing the idea of compensatory gain. “I heard you can make money on calves this winter if you just get by, save by not feeding much. Come spring, nature will provide a few more groceries and the calves will make up for it,” one says.
Black Ink Column: Learn from example
Your dad would climb up on the tractor, pull out the choke, push in the clutch and start it
Records that work
Whatever activity you think of, there's probably a world record. Somebody has licked the most envelopes in a minute, played the longest chess match and worn the most t-shirts at one time.
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