Ag News and Views: December 1997

December, 1997 Table of Contents News & Views Archive Issues

Economics
Managing Risk by Fred Schmedt
Risk management increases value by decreasing the probability of financial distress and by assuring that funds, either equity or debt, are available when profitable investment opportunities arise.

Forage
Preparations for Spring by Chuck Coffey
Winter is here again and many of us have already been supplementing our cattle for 60 or more days. The drought we experienced this summer drastically reduced the quantity of forage we typically have going into the winter.

Horticulture
17th Annual Horticulture Industries Show by Sean Maher
"Healthy Harvest" is the theme chosen for the 17th Annual show and many outstanding speakers are scheduled for the general sessions as well as the commodity sessions. There is also a trade show with a wide variety of exhibitors with time allotted for swappin' stories and ideas.

Livestock
BEEF. What does this mean to you?
by Shan Ingram
If we reflect back fifty or more years, what did the term beef mean to most of the consuming public? Since I wasn't born, it's hard for me to know; however, I think beef was thought of as the premium red meat.

Research
Performance of Forage Bermudagrass Varieties in Noble Foundation Tests, 1997 by Jerry Baker
Summary of yields obtained from different varieties of bermudagrass in 1997.

Soils
Soil Acidity Solution by Jeff Ball
One of the most common and overlooked limitations in crop production is soil acidity. With the cultivation of the land and the harvest of high yielding crops, soil acidity has gradually increased and is becoming a problem throughout the region.

Wildlife
Spiders: Not All Bad, Often Misunderstood by Ken Gee
It is true that there are a few spiders that are harmful to man, but the vast majority pose no threat, and are in fact beneficial.