Cool Season Forage Options for Winter Livestock Feeding

  Livestock feed prices have risen sharply due to the drought reduced corn crop in the Midwest.  What had been fairly reasonable by-product feeds several years ago, have risen to the point that many ranchers are strongly considering increasing the acreage of cool...

Panhandle FAWN Station Weather Summary

From January through July, the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) Station in Marianna had recorded 34 inches of rain, which was exactly the same as the historic average for the first 7 months of the year.  The 14.35 inches of rain that fell in August set an...

Washington County Update – Wet Fields!

There is a growing anxiety about the corn harvest with its high moisture content and lack of available storage. Field conditions are wet making it hard for equipment to cross fields. Cotton fields need to dry out or disease pressure will rise. Diseases such as white...

Wakulla Farmers Making Hay, When the Sun Shines

After a dry spring, the return of semi-regular rains in June was greatly appreciated by farmer and ranchers in Wakulla County.  The situation reversed with Tropical Storm Debbie’s 20 plus inches of rain in late June. Through July and into August the rains have come...

Hurricane Prep for Livestock Owners

The peak of hurricane season is weeks away. Here are a few helpful tips to prepare a livestock operation for a tropical storm or hurricane. Livestock are safer in a large pasture free of debris. Barns can easily fail during a storm, leaving the animals injured,...

Floodwater Mosquitoes, a Special Brand of Misery

Jed Dillard Jefferson County Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Agent Whining hordes of mosquitoes have made life miserable for the warm blooded among us since tropical storm Debby soaked North Florida. You’re likely thinking, “These are not my mama’s...