Sign up online at cattle.mysoutex.com to get your fi rst year FREE!

CURRENT LOCAL LIVESTOCK REPORTS AND NEWS OCT. 13, 2020CURRENT LOCAL LIVESTOCK REPORTS AND NEWSCURRENT LOCAL LIVESTOCK REPORTS AND NEWSCURRENT LOCAL LIVESTOCK REPORTS AND NEWS OCT. 13, 2020OCT. 13, 2020

Coastal Bend

CATTLE GUARD

A farmers’ market is likely coming to a field or open parking lot near you — if there isn’t already one operating nearby. The United States Department of Agriculture says that, between the years of 2008 and 2013, the number of farmers’ markets doubled across the country.

Farmers’ markets will continue to thrive and ex-pand as people increas-ingly realize the benefits of

supporting local food pro-viders. Buyers who are not yet familiar with farmer’s markets can examine the following seven reasons to break the ice.

1. Enjoy fresh, seasonal foods. Foods at farmers’ markets tend to be lim-ited to in-season offerings. Some nutritionists suggest eating seasonally available foods is better for your body, because humans ate seasonal produce for

thousands of years before shipping and refrigeration changed how people re-ceived the majority of their foods. In addition, many people feel that fresh, sea-sonal foods taste better than the alternatives.

2. Discover new foods.There’s always some-

thing new at a farmers’ market, and this can entice shoppers to expand their

Many people sub-scribe to the notion that “everything is better with bacon.” Imagine being able to control the quality and flavor of pork products, and knowing just what went into producing delicious bacon?

In an era of growing uncertainty about commercially produced food, many ag-riculturally inclined people are raising livestock right on their properties, and small-scale pig farms can be a successful venture.

Despite pigs’ reputation as dirty ani-mals, the animal resource PetHelpful indicates they are actually one of the cleanest farm animals. Pigs tend to wal-low in mud only if they do not have proper shade and a clean, steady water supply to regulate their body tempera-ture. Furthermore, giving pigs plenty of space to roam will enable them to keep dry, clean and cool.

Pens should be large enough so pigs can sleep and eat on one end and use the other end for soiling. Pigs also are intel-ligent animals that will adapt to routine. This means it may be easier to care for pigs than some other farm animals.

Even though pigs can grow to be quite large, they do not need to live on an ex-pansive farm. Many pigs can live quite well on an acre if their pen and foraging areas are rotated periodically. Data from the past 50 years shows that today’s pig

farms use less land and other resources to produce one pound of pork, accord-ing to the National Pork Board. There-fore, raising pigs can be a sustainable undertaking.

According to Mother Earth News, when selecting pig breeds for a pig farm startup, these are popular as lean-meat producers and shouldn’t be hard to find: Yorkshire, Duroc-Jersey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Poland-China, Chester White and Tamworth. Choose sows (fe-males) or barrows (castrated males) for

the best-tasting meat. Also, keep in mind that pigs are social animals, and even

though the average family will do just

fine with one pig’s worth of meat, pigs do better if raised in pairs or more.

Pigs need a varied diet to thrive. Diets should include grain, milk, fruits, vege-tables, and greens from pasture. Experts suggest novices ask a veterinarian or an-other pig farmer about feeding. A family garden or bartering with other families nearby for food materials can keep feed-ing costs minimal.

Many pigs can be butchered by the age of six or seven months. After pigs reach that age, they begin to grow quite large and become a much larger investment of time and money.

Pig farming can be a worthwhile venture. More in-depth information on raising pigs is available at http://pork-gateway.org/resource/introduction-to-raising-pigs/.

Page 2 • Tuesday, Oct. 13 2020 • MySouTex.com

PACKER BULLSAll Weights ....................................69-80PACKER COWSCanners & Cutters ......................52-64Poor & Weak .................................21-30PALPATED24 Bred ...........................................70-94PAIRS3 pair .....................................1000-1100STEER CALVES (AVG-HIGH)Under 200 lbs ..................... 189-217.5200-249 lbs ....................................none250-299 lbs ..............................131-150300-350 lbs ..............................134-187350-400 lbs ..............................149-200400-450 lbs ..............................144-186450-500 lbs ..............................128-180500-550 lbs ..............................124-141550-600 lbs ..............................119-135600-700 lbs ..............................116-133700-800 lbs ..............................114-125

BULL CALVES (AVG- HIGH)Under 250 lbs .........................135-190250-300 lbs ..............................126-194300-350 lbs ..............................124-188350-400 lbs ..............................129-198400-450 lbs .......................... 131-187.5450-500 lbs ..............................120-180500-550 lbs ..............................114-135550-600 lbs ..............................111-127600-700 lbs ..............................104-126Over 700 lbs .............................. 97-114HEIFERS CALVES (AVG-HIGH)Under 200 lbs ..................... 123-182.5200-250 lbs ................................ 94-130250-300 lbs ..............................118-170300-350 lbs ..............................118-165350-400 lbs ..............................115-160400-450 lbs ..............................117-185450-500 lbs ..............................112-131500-550 lbs ..............................110-200550-600 lbs ..............................107-130600-700 lbs ..............................106-140Over 700 lbs .............................. 97-124

Friday, October 9, 2020Number of Head: 2,352

SALES EVERY FRIDAY @ 10 AM

There were 271 cows and 24 bulls. The packer market was again a little weaker. A good run of cows and bulls saw teh top price off $6/cwt on cows as well on bulls. All this is in line with the seasonal break in teh

packer market just getting more noticeable. The calf market was lower due to concerns about the corn crops and higher corn prices which directly affected the calf and feeder markets by as much as $6/cwt. Some of the middle weight steers actually had new highs, but the overall tone of the market was lower. Some of the weak-

ness was due to an overdue correction to teh market after 4 consecutive strong weeks.see FARMERS’, P. 3

The basics of raising pigs

7 reasons to shop farmers’ markets

TEMPLE – USDA is accepting applications from non-federal, not-for-profit partners for projects to help agricultural pro-ducers and private land-owners trap and control feral swine, which is part of the Feral Swine Eradi-cation and Control Pilot Program (FSCP). USDA’s Natural Resources Con-servation Service (NRCS) is making $12 million available and will accept applications through Nov. 5, in eight priority states – including Texas – during its second round of proj-ect funding.

FSCP is a joint effort between NRCS and US-DA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The program was first announced in June 2019, and in the first round of funding, NRCS

allocated almost $17 mil-lion for 20 pilot projects across 10 states, which in-cluded Texas. Those proj-ects will continue through the life of the 2018 Farm Bill in Alabama, Arkan-sas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklaho-ma, South Carolina and Texas.

“The 2018 Farm Bill created this new pilot program to enable us to address threats to natural resources and agriculture posed by feral swine,” said Clint Evans, NRCS acting state conservation-ist in Texas. “This second investment will play a cru-cial role in getting Texas landowners assistance they need to help reduce

the destruction of crops and damage to natural re-sources on their property.”

The second round of funding is for partners to carry out activities as part of the three new identi-fied pilot projects in select areas of Texas. The in-clude Dallam County in the northwestern corner of the Texas Panhandle, Nueces County, San Patri-cio County and Bee Coun-ty in the Coastal Bend of Texas and Williamson and Milam Counties in Central Texas. These new pilot projects and areas

were selected in coordi-nation with NRCS state conservationists, APHIS state directors and state technical committees to address feral swine issues and damage in areas with high densities.

Pilot projects consist broadly of three coordi-nated components: 1) feral swine removal by APHIS; 2) restoration efforts sup-ported by NRCS; and 3) assistance to producers for feral swine control pro-vided through partnership agreements with non-fed-eral partners. Projects can be one to three years in duration and are planned

to conclude at the end of Fiscal Year 2023 (Sept. 30, 2023).

M or e inf or mationNRCS is now accepting

proposals from non-feder-al, not-for-profit partners to provide landowner as-sistance for on-farm trap-ping and related services as part of the pilot projects described on the FSCP webpage NRCS will pro-vide funding for these ser-vices through partnership agreements. The funding limit for a single award is $1.5 million. NRCS may provide up to 75 percent of the costs for the part-nership agreement. The

remaining 25 percent must be committed by the partner through cash or in-kind contributions as listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Additional information on specific pilot projects, including target areas and the roles for which part-ner assistance is being re-quested, can be found on the FSCP webpage.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov offsite link image by 5 p.m. East-ern Time on Nov. 5. The opportunity number is USDA-NRCS-MULTI-FSCP-20-NOFO0001036.

MySouTex.com • Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020 • Page 3

Nixon Livestock Commission, Inc.

1924 E. State Hwy 87 Nixon, TX 78140(830) 582-1561

October 12, 2020Volume:

Cows: Bulls:

USE TEXT STYLES

Closed for Columbus Day!Next Sale is on October 19, 2020

NRCS announces second round of funding for Feral Swine Programc udes ot o ects ee, Sa at c o cou t es

flavor palates. Explore interesting, locally grown items. Even children may fall in love with colorful fruits or vegetables and their refreshing tastes.

3. Embrace organic and non-GMO offerings. Many farmers’ markets offer foods that are organically grown and are produced without GMOs. Farmers’ mar-ket retailers also tend to give firsthand ac-counts of where their foods come from and how they are grown or raised.

4. Indulge in nutritious foods. The vivid colors and smells emanating from farmers’ markets indicate just how fresh and nutritious the offerings tend to be. Farmers who peddle their wares at farm-ers’ markets adhere to careful farming methods to ensure their foods are as nu-tritious as possible.

5. Learn secrets and recipes. In addition to fresh produce, farmers’ markets may offer baked and other prepared goods. Shopkeepers often mingle with their cus-tomers, offering trade secrets and recipe

ideas. Additionally, local farm families supported by farmers’ markets generally offer supreme customer service to keep shoppers coming back week after week.

6. Turn the trip into a social excursion. A farmers’ market can be an exciting and flavorful social gathering place for families and groups of friends, as well as a great place to meet other members of the community. Sometimes farmers also mingle with local artisans, so the market can be a one-stop-shopping locale for lo-cally produced food and art.

7. Save money. Farmers’ markets may sell organic produce at a cost comparable or even lower than other retailers. That’s because local farmers don’t have to trans-port their items as far as retailers whose foods were shipped from far away places.

Any time of the year is perfect for grab-bing a tote bag and browsing the wares at a nearby farmers’ market, where shop-pers are bound to find something fresh, unique and delicious.

FARMERS’ MARKETS, f r om P. 2

Page 4 • Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020 • MySouTex.com

Few things are more satisfy-ing than biting into a fresh to-mato right from the garden or seasoning a meal with herbs picked from a windowsill greenhouse. Restaurants rec-ognize the value of such ex-periences, and more and more are relying on locally sourced products in their kitchens.

The farm-to-table move-ment is not new, but it has gained momentum as con-sumers become increasingly enamored with the flavor and environmental impact of lo-cally sourced foods. The Na-tional Restaurant Association found that farm-to-table food was one of its top 10 trends for 2015. Furthermore, the group says that one in five consumers are willing to pay more for lo-cal food, and 41 percent admit that locally sourced ingredients influence their decisions when choosing where to dine.

Newcomers to the farm-to-table dining experience may not understand all the fuss sur-rounding this popular trend. The following are some of the key benefits of farm-to-table.

• Peak freshness and ripe-ness: Local produce ripens on the plant and can be harvested at the last possible minute be-fore it turns up on a plate. This helps ensure that it contains the highest amount of nutri-ents and flavor, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Food that has to travel further is often picked well before it is ready, ripening on the way to stores or other vendors.

• Better for the environment: Food that needn’t travel far before reaching diners’ plates saves roughly 500 gallons of diesel fuel to haul produce a distance of 1,500 miles. This conserves fossil fuels and pre-vents harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere.

• Supports neighboring farms: Supporting farm-to-table restaurants and other eateries keeps business local in two different ways. It not only benefits local restaurants, but it also directly supports neigh-boring farms, fisheries and other suppliers.

• Accessibility to seasonal

choices: Farm-to-table eating provides a wide variety of in-season foods. This can trans-late into tastier foods because they are grown and harvested during their optimal growing season.

• Reduces factory farming: According to O.info, the infor-mational resource powered by Overstock.com, farm-to-table and local farming can reduce reliance on large, profit-driven corporations that may focus on maximum production over an-imal health and welfare. Local farms may be more inclined to treat their animals well and in-stitute sustainable practices.

• Learn about the commu-nity: A person might live in an area and never know that a local vineyard is in the vicinity or that a producer of straight-from-the-hive honey is nearby. Exploring farm-to-table re-sources can open people’s eyes to local businesses doing great work in and around their com-munities.

Farm-to-table is a popular movement that people are em-bracing for various reasons.

The various benefits of farm-to-table

Consumers’ appetites for local foods are growing, and restaurants have taken notice. Today, many local businesses, including farms and restau-rants, have mutually exclusive relationships that make it pos-sible for local residents to enjoy nutritious, locally produced meals.

According to the market re-search firm Packaged Facts, local foods generated $11.7 bil-lion in sales in 2014 and will climb to $20.2 billion by 2019. Farm-to-table remains a grow-ing trend that benefits farmers, restaurateurs and consumers. This is evidenced by the ris-ing number of farmers markets cropping up in neighborhoods all across the country, as well as the niche offerings by regional food purveyors. The U.S. De-partment of Agriculture says that, in the last 20 years, the number of farmers markets has grown by more than 350 percent. Many consumers are now choosing “local” for din-ing at home and when dining out, and this is making a ma-jor impact on the nation’s food systems.

Foodies as well as industry experts predict that the local foods movement is a perma-nent and mainstream trend. In 2014, the National Restaurant Association found the desire for local foods dominated its “Top Food Trends.”

The most in-demands foods include locally sourced meats and seafood as well as locally sourced produce. Consumers also are interested in farm/estate-branded foods. Some restaurants are even producing “hyper-local” food, or herbs

and produce grown right on the property.

As the demand for local foods has evolved, so has the term “local foods.” “Local” can be a wide-ranging term that refers to foods produced in a particular town, state or even region. The 2008 Farm Act defines a “locally or region-ally produced agricultural food product” as one that is market-ed less than 400 miles from its origin. However, a few states have established more stringent rules that indicate “local” con-stitutes food produced within the borders of a state or within a small perimeter of the state.

The growing preference for locally produced foods is great news for the farmers and small food producers that have long fought for footing among the mega-importers. According to the trade publication Produce Business, even though “local” does not place limits on the size of the farm, the growing desire among consumers to go local is benefitting many small and midsized farms, as con-sumers are increasingly buying foods grown closer to where they live.

In addition to meats, fruits and vegetables, consumers can find many locally made items that expand the potential for farm-to-table. These include, but are not limited to, artisanal cheeses, wines, beer, baked goods, milk and other dairy, and honey.

Local, sustainable foods are in demand, helping not only lo-cal restaurants and merchants, but also the small and medium farms that service these estab-lishments.

Far m- to- tab le b usinesses b ooming