Brandt Cattle Co. of Brawley, California finishes cattle on a 95,000-head feedlot in Imperial County. Learn more about the company's natural beef program from farm manager Mark Brandt.

Chaput Family Farms is a partnership between brothers Reg and Mike Chaput in North Troy, Vermont. The farm includes 950 cows, 900 heifers, 1,100 acres of tillable land and an anaerobic digester.

A new DNA test for marbling and post-weaning growth will soon help cattle producers better hit the high-quality beef target. The tool, set to debut in early 2012, will be made available under a development agreement between Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and Pfizer Animal Genetics, the companies announced.

A collaboration between the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has yielded a new online tool that connects dairy producers to the resources they need to save energy and, in turn, save money on their operations. “This is a great opportunity to show producers how we are using checkoff dollars to join with other organizations and bring information to the table,” says Dan Rice, a dairy producer from Firth, Nebraska.

Twenty-five Salers breeders from nine states paraded their best genetics at the American Royal Salers Livestock Show, Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 21, 2011.

Major losses to alfalfa stands can sometimes be attributed to plant disease. There are more than 12 diseases of alfalfa. They can be grouped into two categories: stem/crown/root diseases and foliage diseases.

Farmers have made excellent progress on this fall’s harvest and it’s time to think about next year’s fertilizer needs. The steady climb in fertilizer prices over the last year, the volatility in grain prices, and the precipitation and flooding extremes in some areas this past year make it even more important to do a good job of soil sampling this fall.

Thanks to the dauntless efforts of a small band of beef-loving volunteers in South Dakota, lucky Wheel of Fortune contestants this winter may be heading home with the means to purchase $1,000 each in t-bones, sirloins and burgers.