I have found that the best way to get some of the best information on how to manage an enterprise is to talk to a farmer who has been successful. Those who are successful in the long run are those who use research backed information.

We have, for the past ten years, conducted a tour of beef farms in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky. Our producers have picked up many valuable ideas which they have used to their advantage. As an example, at the fair last week, I was talking to a beef producer from the Shandon, Ohio area about intensive grazing. He was thrilled with the results. He said, even last year with the drought, his small lot design allowed him to continue to graze through the worst of the summer. He said he used intensive grazing because of what he had seen on one of our tours.

This year we will conduct the tour on Saturday, Aug. 23. The Butler County Cattlemen helped us put the trip together and it looks to be one of our best ever. Anyone is welcome to attend even if you are not from Butler County.

Stop 1: John and Diana Day, Heifer Development and Breeding Services, of Russellville, Ohio. The Day family has been in the registered Angus business since the 1950s. They have sold up to 50 bulls and heifer replacements each year. They were the first farm selected as cooperators with Ohio Beef Heifer Development Program in 2007. They are raising the heifers on a farm they bought two years ago, as a separate operation. On this 80-acre farm, they developed 75 heifers last year and they are now raising 108.

They used their bulls as clean up bulls for the 101 heifers bred this spring. It will be interesting to talk to John and Diana about this program. He told me he loved raising heifers when corn was $2, but with seemingly no upper limit to the price of corn, it isn’t as fun getting them to gain 1.5 to 1.7 pounds per day.

Stop 2: Maplecrest Farms, John and Joanie Grimes Family of Hillsboro. John is the Highland County ag educator and has helped me put this tour together. John, Joanie, Lindsey and Lauren raise Angus seedstock on this 150-cow operation. They hold an annual female production sale each September.

The bulls are marketed through joint marketing arrangements with Fink Beef Genetics and Gardiner Angus Ranch in Kansas. The extensive use of embryo transfer, cooperator herds, and heat synchronization has allowed them to produce approximately 250 calves and 500 embryos annually.

Stop 3: Robert and Paula Kiser and family, of Hillsboro. Kiser Farms is located near Hillsboro and consists of 450 owned acres and over 500 rented acres. The operation confines 400 to 500 head of feedlot cattle in a finishing facility and raises 200 to 300 head of background feeders. Once the feeders reach 900 pounds, they are transported to the finishing facility for approximately 120 days.
Their ration is comprised primarily of high moisture corn and corn silage with the row crops produced being used to supply their feed needs. The operation follows a waste management plan and utilizes an established manure pit for waste control.

Stop 4: Mike Sims, DVM, Sharon Sims and family, of Greenfield.
This extensive stocker operation consists of 258 owned acres and an additional 300 acres of leased ground. This operation began in 1990 and annually backgrounds 200 head of feeder cattle. The majority of these cattle are developed to 700 to 800 pounds then sold as feeders. Intensive grazing is practiced with pastures divided into four acre paddocks. Dr. Sims operates the Greenfield Veterinary Clinic and serves as the veterinarian for the Union Stock Yards. They also operate the Sims Family Golf Center at the farm.
The registration fee this year is $25 per person, regardless of age, if your reservation is in by Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, it will be $30 per person.

The cost of the bus is up over last year, so we can’t make a price break for the kids. We hope by going on Saturday, more families will be able to participate. We need to have you call reservations to us at 513-887-3722.

We will meet at 7 a.m. in the parking lot of our new Butler County Agricultural Building, 1802 Princeton Road in Hamilton. It is at the same location as our old building just on the other side of the drive. We will leave by 7:15 a.m. so hope to see you here.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Steve Bartels may write to him in care of this publication.