Corn gluten feed is a co-product of the production of high fructose corn syrup and is commonly used as a feed co-product in Virginia. In the past, there have been rare outbreaks of polioencephalomalacia (PEM) in groups of calves fed free-choice corn gluten. Dr. John Currin, DVM; Va-Md. College of Vetr. Medicine discusses prevention and treatment.

Follow these guidelines for a poultry feeding program formulated to meet breed guidelines using feeds that are readily available to any dealer or customer in the Southern States operating territory.

All kinds of tractors, tools and equipment can catch a farmer’s eye. Carefully assess what’s needed for your small farm when making your equipment list and budget. The expense and ongoing maintenance costs can be considerable. And don’t be afraid to ask others for help, especially if you’re still honing your mechanical skills.

For the second time in the last three years, a Southern States feed mill has been named best in the nation. Barber Feed Mill in Cleveland, North Carolina was designated Feed Mill of the Year for 2009 by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA). The Barber mill also won the award in 1998. This year’s honor marks only the second time in the 25-year history of the competition that a single mill has received the top award more than once.

Our customers use Safe-Guard® products to deworm because they consistently keep cattle parasite-free. These testimonials from satisfied customers describe how Safe-Guard® works for them.

• V.C. Hollingsworth, VCH Ranch - Arcadia, FL
• Dr. Phillip Osborne, Extension Livestock Specialist - West Virginia University
• Mark Bray, Ridgecrest Farms - Lawsonville, NC
• Billy Neher, Pruet Ranch - Ashdown, AR
• Mike Adams, Adams Ranch - Ft. Pierce, FL   

It is proven that top dressing your crop of small grains with nitrogen can increase the yield from your fields, if the necessary rainfall or irrigation is forthcoming. On the downside, getting either unlucky with weather, mistiming, or an uneven top dressing application can be damaging to your crop. Now, with the availability of nitrogen soil testing and NutriSphere-N^®, plant tissue testing, and Southern States GrowMaster^® Certified Crop Services top dressing is not the gamble it was in the past.

As pinkeye season approaches, it’s time for beef and dairy producers to take preventive steps to control this contagious, costly disease. Pinkeye can negatively impact the production and overall health of your animals. Norm Stewart, D.V.M., M.S., Manager of Dairy Technical Services for Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, offers best management practices for preventing pinkeye.

Tobacco is no longer quite the king of revenue for farmers but still makes a pretty good prince; export markets have surged in the last few years and it is still possible to achieve a reasonable income from a comparatively small farm. You will need the right soil, the right equipment, and know what obstacles you are facing and how to overcome them to maximize your returns.

Research trials indicate efficacy of popular deworming drugs are declining. Are parasites becoming resistant to dewormers? Two articles that touch base on these questions are now available.

• Southern Bull and Replacement Heifer Test Parasite Study - WVU Extension Service.pdf
• NCSU Research Uncovers Site-Specific Parasite Resistance in Beef Cattle

Haymaking is so much more than just cutting and baling. Cutting at the right time can make a huge difference in the protein levels of the hay. Your equipment needs to be right for the job and you also need to monitor the moisture levels of the hay. Taking a strategic approach to your haymaking can save you time and money.

Moving from the city to a small farm is the right choice for many families. Is farming life new to you? Some families mistakenly romanticize life in the country. Farming the land is hard work and involves financial risk. Smart novices consider not only their agriculture interests, but also their financial resources, attributes of their property and benefits of the crops they choose to plant.

Crop rotation planning is not a new tool in the farming armory, the Romans practiced a system known as, “food, feed, and fallow” 2,000 years ago. The basics haven’t changed that much. Crop rotation promotes soil fertility, can contain plant disease, help prevent weed infestation, and last and by no means least, lessen the risk or impact of insect infestations and thus lessen the need for costly and sometimes environmentally unfriendly pesticides.

Soybean rust is a fungus that targets the foliage of the soybean plant. Previously prevalent in Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and India, the disease has since found its way to South Africa, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. There are two types of fungi that cause soybean rust. Phakopsora pachyrhiz is the most aggressive form of soybean rust and was first identified in the U.S. in 2004 in Louisiana. Read more about soybean rust, its effects and how it may affect our farmers.

• Soybean Rust Profiled
• Strategies for lessening the impact of Asian soybean rust