By sheer necessity, cattle producers are also part-time veterinarians. Most of us have no formal training in this important aspect of raising cattle and have come to our skills, such as they may be, by observation, neighbourly advice and hands on trial and error. We deal with wounds, bloat, internal and external infestations, abrasions, digestive […] Read more
Let’s Give ‘Er A Shot
The Art Of Selling Bulls
The holy grail in marketing for the vast majority of small purebred cattle breeders is to sell their bulls privately off the yard. But this objective may not be as easily reached as may seem possible from the outside looking in. Selling is an art. It can be learned readily enough, but producers must have […] Read more
Be Safe With That Propane Torch
I once found a farmer heating a piece of outdoor farm machinery in the dead of winter by the simple expedient of sliding a torch burning full blast along the ground underneath the motor and allowing flames and heat to rise past the oil pan and upward. Of all the ways possible to warm a […] Read more
Tips To Buy And Use A Chainsaw
Our chainsaw is one of our most important tools. We use it to cut material for corrals, sheds and windbreaks, trim fallen trees off fencelines, cut watering holes through winter ice, and slice post holes into frozen peat. I’ve sliced and diced a frozen beef carcass when pet food was needed. And of course, we’ve […] Read more
Put A Light On The Bucket
After suitable reflection, I decided there must be a better way and there was. Much better. I moved one light from the side of the tractor and bolted it onto the bucket itself. That is all. Putting extra lights on an old tractor can be easy and inexpensive, and provide highly valuable dividends. We ran […] Read more
Run Your Fridge More Efficiently
Our cost of power last summer for a two-person household was significantly higher than it had been on the farm, in the dead of winter, raising cattle. Four heated watering bowls, barn and yard lights, tractor and vehicle block heaters, furnaces, diminished daylight, steady use water well pump, all were run for less cost in […] Read more
Keep Mice Out Of Air Intake
Be like Ed Curry. Email us. We at Grainews would like to hear about your quick fix tips, no matter how simple they may seem. Send a description of your fixes along with a photo if possible to the editor, Jay Whetter. His contact information is on page 2. If you have ideas for articles, […] Read more
We Are Gathered Here To Mourn…
It has been 39 years since I last shot a goose. Until now. I shot her as she floated silently on our pond, her head serenely held low as though completely secure in untroubled rest. As I watched she had drifted ever so slowly along the outer edge of our reed beds, her rising and […] Read more
Nurture Those Maple Suckers
Prairie folk recognize the value of trees, any trees. Established homestead sites are valued as much for their large stands of shelter-belt trees as for just about any other outdoor amenity. Before we purchased our present home site, some passing fellows had victimized the previous owner, offering to prune his lovely stand of mature maple […] Read more
Construct A Low-Cost Barbecue Pit
The ideal is to create a fast-burning, smokeless, relatively hot fire in order to create a base of glowing coals. Nothing is more pleasant on a summer evening than to sit around an open campfire with family or friends, roasting wieners and marshmallows or simply watching flickering flames. A rim of steel salvaged from an […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
