CATTLE

Local

Otter Tail County Board holds feedlot expansion hearing; purchases new $368,000 wheeled excavator

Members of the Otter Tail County Board held a public hearing for a potential 250-cow expansion at a feedlot on County Road 51, north of Perham, on March 14.

Columns

With calving around the corner, memories of April blizzards keep coming back

"With the warmer temperatures and the steady melting, one would think that we'd be breathing a sigh of relief that all will be well by the time that first calf arrives. But — especially after spring 2022, to say nothing of other years passed — we all know better."

February 13, 2023 05:30 AM

Columns

5 must-read articles to learn the positive impact of beef past the farm gate

When Katie Pinke directed her daughter to a beef expert in preparation for her speech meet, it made her think about the need for trusted ag sources of information.

January 27, 2023 05:30 AM

Business

Benson and Turner Foods perseveres on meat processing plant, even after death of business partner

Benson and Turner Foods will process cattle and hogs at Waubun, Minnesota, on the White Earth Reservation with the help of a USDA grant.

January 24, 2023 05:30 AM

Latest Headlines

A farmer spreads manure as one of northwest Iowa's first winter storms sets in.

Business

$30,000 an acre: Eye-popping farmland prices in northwest Iowa have an impact across the Midwest

A recent $30,000 per acre land sale in Sioux County, Iowa, sends signals into the land market in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and even as far away as Indiana.

January 23, 2023 05:30 AM

By Mikkel Pates

A bunch of black Angus cattle come into a corral after as the farmer shuts trailer door behind them.

Business

Cattle across the region come to shelter as pastures dry up

Cow-calf producers had plenty of time to bring cattle from summer pastures, to shelter around farmsteads and to fenced corn stubble fields for late grazing prior to winter. Northeast South Dakota farmer Wally Knock said he has plenty of feed despite a dry late summer.

November 14, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mikkel Pates

A green, flaky pile of corn silage is in the foreground, with blue silos in the background.

Columns

Manure, silage and other scents that take farm kids home

The smell of the ranch in the fall is far more than just the manure; it's all the comforting things that farm kids grow to associate with home.

October 10, 2022 05:30 AM

By Jenny Schlecht

A man in a green shirt and sweatpants and a man in a green shirt and blue jeans lean against a wooden corral fence with black cows behind it.

Business

University of North Dakota football program tackles new initiative that fuels players with North Dakota meat

Ranchers or farmers can donate meat, including beef, chicken and pork from North Dakota-raised livestock, or donors can give money that will be used to purchase the meat from ranches and farms within the state.

September 13, 2022 05:30 AM

By Ann Bailey

A red-white-and-blue bag of livestock feed at foreground is flanked by stacks of the same product in a warehouse.

Business

High-visibility feed maker Famo Feeds going strong

Famo Feeds Inc., of Freeport, Minnesota, is an unusual livestock feed maker for Minnesota because an independent, family-owned manufacturer has its own brand of feed. The company’s colorful logo is a curiosity for the thousands of motorists and customers traveling along Interstate 94, en route to and from the Twin Cities.

August 01, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mikkel Pates

A rancher d strides toward calves to gather them in a stock trailer, while his son assists but shields his eyes from the driving snow.

Business

North Dakota ranchers who battled blizzard Haley continue to deal with the aftermath

Cattle producers who lost calves in the April 2022 snow storms -- especially in western North Dakota where drought or dry conditions persist -- say the government's Livestock Indemnity Program needs update its funding formula and rules if partial compensation will be relevant.

June 13, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mikkel Pates

A man wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt and cowboy hat stands next to a boy wearing a t-shirt shorts and red baseball cap and a woman wearing a black jacket and red baseball cap

Business

Best Angus and Quarter Horse Ranch survives drought and blizzards to continue Badlands tradition

Pete and Vawnita Best's road to ranching in the Badlands began more than 200 miles from there when Pete was a 14-year-old 4-H member living in Rolette, North Dakota, and selected a heifer from McCumber Angus Ranch for a livestock project.

June 13, 2022 05:30 AM

By Ann Bailey

Black cows and calves are coated in snow and ice.

News

Ranchers optimistic 'calf-killing blizzard' could be 'extraordinary condition' needed to break the drought

A series of storms brought around 4 feet of snow to some parts of the region. While the storm and its aftermath continue to stress ranchers and cattle, there is optimism that it spells the beginning of the end of a dry cycle.

April 25, 2022 05:30 AM

By Ann Bailey

Business

BetterFed Beef seeks to provide a 'good onya' choice for American beef consumers

BetterFed Beef, a Minnesota based beef company, has trademarked a new breed, Certified Onya, which has proven to be as tender than Wagyu beef.

April 11, 2022 05:30 AM

By Emily Beal