Romance is in the air at Fleming Family Beef, bovine romance. Unlike most beef producers, we like our cows to have their calves in the fall. At that time of year, feed is still plentiful, the ground is solid, and the weather has a high probability of being nice. In order for a mama cow to have her calf in the September-October time frame, she and the bull must do their thing about 283 days prior. That is the average gestation period for a bovine. So, five days ago, our (rented) Charolais bull was turned out with our cows. It so happened that one of our cows was “in heat,” (ovulating) on that day. It is neat to think on...
It has been a big week for the mama cows at Fleming Family Beef. Earlier in the week, we were able to complete the assembly of a temporary electric fence around our neighbor’s field of corn residue. After the corn is picked, our cows benefit from foraging the remaining shucks and leaves of the corn plant. Even though the plant material is now brown, it still has enough nutritional value for a non-nursing cow, especially if they can find a missed ear of corn on the ground once in a while. In addition, foraging cows in the winter helps to break down crop material, turning it into usable soil nutrients for next year’s crop. So, while those cows are foraging...
An original poem by Dan Fleming There are only so many winters, In a good old cow like her. Raising calf after calf after calf, She did her job each year. Though I recall in her younger days, She could be quite a pain. She was disrespectful of fences, And led others to do the same. But still, she doesn’t owe me a thing, Feeding my family all these years. And I’ll give a deserving salute, Through a bit of a graveside tear. If asked, I would gladly make a trade, To avoid this sad, gray day, I’d chase her out of the corn once more, And feed her one more bale of hay. But that...
This has been a week for being thankful. As you may expect, I am thankful for many of the usual things. I am thankful for my family (even that certain character that every family has), the roof over my head, the food on my plate and the opportunity to farm and live close to nature. Sometimes though, I have been guilty of not appreciating, and even complaining about, things for which I should be very thankful. Case in point, the late winter and spring months this year brought rain after rain that delayed crop production and endangered spring pastures. Grazing livestock would convert pastures to muddy messes if they were turned out before a drier June could arrive, bringing more...
We know we owe Mother Earth a lot for our business. And, we know we have a responsibility to take care of our planet the best we can. That is why Fleming Family Beef participates in Bartholomew County REMC’s My Solar program, using solar power to help keep our six freezers going during the hot summer months. The My Solar program allows us to lease one or more solar panels from the array located in southern Bartholomew County. The My Solar program is open to any BCREMC member.
To find out more about it, go to: https://hoosierenergy.com/mysolar-bartholomew/.
Thanks to REMC, our beef stays frozen (and fresh) all through the hot summer months.
