February 2012 Magazine Issue

Back in 1936, when Bob Dolan wrote “Cool Water,” the American West was struggling with one of the worst droughts in this country’s history. The song, made popular in 1948 by the Sons of the Pioneers, is so enduring that artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell released versions as well....More

Production costs, rather than selling weight and price, were the most important contributors to profit differences between high- and low-profit cow-calf producers, according to Kansas State University economists. Cow-calf cost and return records for the 2006-2010 period (Kansas Farm Management Association Enterprise Analysis) were divided into high-profitability operations (HPO), as well as medium and low (LPO) categories, based on annual net return to management (NRM). NRM is gross income minus total costs of production/cow....More

Obesity in the U.S. continues unabated, indicating that Americans are increasingly overfed but undernourished. A new trend, however, indicates beef can play a role in helping manage the nation’s health and waistline. Checkoff studies indicate that 95% of Americans enjoy the taste of beef, and they no longer need to feel guilty about it. Gary Taubes, author of “Good Calories; Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It,” pushes his readers to pass on the bread and brownies and opt for animal proteins and vegetables....More