"I Bought a Farm...Now What?" Videos
The "I bought a farm...now what" series is intended to highlight the decisions and the work necessary to develop a beef cattle operation with an underdeveloped farm. It is designed for someone that has little to no experience in the beef cattle industry. This documentary will involve many people in the Department, College, and industry
Episode 11. Daily Heifer Checks
This video depicts the first 3 days after heifer arrival. Heifers are watched closely for illness and to ensure they are transitioning to their new environment well.
Episode 10. "Heifers arrive to the farm."
We found the perfect set of heifers and purchased them. In this video, they arrive and we discuss receiving cattle, receiving rations, and heifers in general.
Episode 9. "Setting up the rotational grazing system."
Dr. Lehmkuhler and Dr. Les work on the farm setting up the polywire for the rotational grazing system.
Episode 8. "Pricing Heifers"
In this episode, Kevin Laurent discusses the many factors a buyer needs to consider when pricing heifers. Kevin provides and in-depth discussion of shrink, obtaining a value, and understanding the process of establishing value in beef heifers.
Episode 7. "Finding heifers to buy"
We are ready to purchase heifers but where and how do we find good heifers to buy? What factors should be considered when purchasing heifers? Kevin Laurent joins Dr. Les for this two part discussion on the process of purchasing heifers for our heifer development enterprise.
Episode 6. "Stocking Rate"
Dr. Lehmkuhler joins us again to discuss stocking rate and how many cattle to purchase. He discusses in detail the grazing patterns through the newly designed rotational grazing system and factors to make the grazing more successful.
Episode 5. Rotational Grazing System
Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler discusses many factors used to design a rotational grazing system for the farm. Dr. Lehmkuhler uses a web soil survey to help assess the fertility of the soil and maps out the forage plan for the heifer development system. Very interesting discussion.
Episode 4. Enterprise Potential
Dr. Kenny Burdine and Dr. Les discuss enterprise potential for the hill farm. Hill farms and the soil analysis limits the productivity of many farms. Dr. Burdine discusses several brief enterprises and does an in-depth analysis of the enterprise of choice.
Episode 3: "Land Maintenance"
Dr. Les discusses land maintenance concerns with ANR Agent Adam Probst. Among many topics, Adam demonstrates how to take a soil sample and analyze the results. Our goal with this episode is to help land owners develop a plan to maintain or improve their property.
Episode 2: “Where Should I Get My Information?”
This episode features Dr. Les and Adam Probst and discusses the Extension service and how to obtain reliable information for your farm and family.
Episode 1 - Series Introduction