To supplement farm income, some get their wives jobs in town. Others expand their hobbies (i.e., making saddles, braiding horsehair or running for county commissioner). Some, in desperation, get a real estate license.

More than 72,000 wild horses roam through the Western states on land that experts say can no longer sustain their basic needs.

Husband and wife Tracy and Julie Leonard each brought specific skill sets to their cow-calf and stocker program.

What are you producing at your operation? The answer is: beef, of course. Anyone who owns cattle is a food producer. This has been the most critical point for all generations of producers.

Warmer weather has many of us thinking about green grass and the anticipation of a lighter workload while cow-calf pairs graze throughout the summer months. However, there are some important herd management practices to consider before that point.

Below-normal moisture and above-normal temperatures have been the spring weather pattern in most of the West. Variability in precipitation and subsequent variation in forage production is a huge challenge to manage.

As I look at the most current drought monitor map published on Feb. 15, most of the south-central region is experiencing dry conditions. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the area has received widespread rain, and pastures are covered with abundant supplies of green-growing forage.

Little Washburn Creek runs through the wooded hills of Sebastian County, Arkansas, where Tracy and Julie Leonard created a nontraditional ranch.

The subject of animal traceability has been bouncing from boardroom to courtroom to corral for years. The global and domestic demand for traceability has highlighted the need for a nationwide animal ID traceability system.

Most Progressive Cattleman readers feed round bales. In a recent online poll, Progressive Cattleman asked, “What form of hay do you feed?”