The biggest bets aren't made at a card table, racetrack or during the Super Bowl. Instead, they happen every day on farms and ranches across the country.

By Rachael Brooke Rooks County’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent Prolonged heat and drought stress can cause considerable leaf area loss and soybean yield reduction. If the crop is so drought-stressed that it’s losing leaves or not setting pods, it may be time to cut it for hay.

Waiting for Rain Kim Baldwin, McPherson County farmer and rancher The morning air has turned crisp, the temperatures have begun to drop, and the sun noticeably rises a little bit later every morning. It is definitely beginning to feel like fall on the farm.

Thoughts on Calf Revenue The air is now crisp in the morning, and it won’t be long before we see the glimmer of ice crystals in the water tank. Many producers are weaning and will be marketing calves in the coming weeks and months.

Osage orange trees are still common throughout much of the United States, though not many people appreciate just how much the thorny, dense trees have shaped our country. Before Christopher Columbus’ arrival, Osage orange had a limited range in the Red River basin in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Like the droves of Europeans who followed, the tree eventually spread to all corners of our country, so long as you don’t count Alaska and Hawaii.

Over the past decade or two, farmhouse décor has been an in vogue style of interior design. It makes me chuckle when I think about people who don’t live on a farm trying to create clean and pretty spaces through white wash, distressed paint and vintage hardware. Real farmhouses are rarely as desirable as this style is made out to be.

See the health of the soonto- arrive lambs and their mothers. I’m most concerned about how many lambs we could possibly bottle feed at once and being prepared with the supplies needed to ensure we can successfully feed multiple babies.

I give a lot of my time to helping young leaders grow and develop through programs like 4-H and FFA. Though my biggest motivation is paying it forward because of all the people who helped me, I also directly benefit from working with these students who are experts on pop culture, new fashion, slang terminology and the latest social media trends.

Supplementation for Cattle During the Drought Traditionally, when cowherd supplementation is discussed, we focus on meeting the protein needs of the cow, with the goal of maximizing forage intake by supplementing protein, the most limiting nutrient in dormant native forages. However, drought often limits the supply of both grazed and harvested forages in many regions.

As I was outside with my kids waiting for them to catch their big yellow bus to begin another school year, I was reminded of how all of the back-toschool excitement is similar to the anticipation of fall on the farm. Being that it’s a new school year, the kids are understandably excited to return to school.