Feed aggregator

Friday, December 1, 2023

Feed costs are often the largest category of expense for cow-calf producers in Nebraska. Understanding how the cow’s nutrient requirements change throughout the year and how to cost-effectively meet those requirements with the feed resources available can greatly influence an operation’s bottom line. 

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Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The year was dry, forage is limited, last winter’s feed shortage is frozen into your memory, and you have cows to feed. With these thoughts in mind, maybe you harvested hay from the roadside—“ditch hay”— and will be feeding that hay soon. There are several things for you to think about and keep in mind as you feed the hay.

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Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. With harvest now complete in Nebraska, USDA NASS crop progress reports will transition to a monthly publication schedule until the 2024 growing season begins in April.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Recently, we discussed Measures of Cow Herd Performance that included calculating pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. In that article, we concluded that while weaning weight is important, it is not the best measure of cow herd performance. To increase weaning weight, emphasis is often placed on increased milk production, increased growth, or both.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup onion, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, diced
• 1 cup celery, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, diced
• 2 bell peppers, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, seeded and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 links Andouille sausage (½ pound), cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 ½ cups uncooked brown rice
• 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ¼ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, pot or a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
3. Add the sausage and chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until browned and no longer pink.
4. Stir in crushed tomatoes, rice, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the rice is cooked and almost all of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Discard bay leaves and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
6. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Main Dishes Yield: 8 servings Calories: 300Total Fat: 8Saturated Fat: 2Potassium: 10Total Sugars: 4Iron: 10Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 4Protein: 22Fiber: 3Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 34Sodium: 560Cholesterol: 60Photo by Marusa Jonas

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food ProcessorNotes: 

*Other types of Smoked Sausage can be used, such as chicken, beef, turkey or polish sausage. 

Ingredients:

• 2 links Southwest sausage (½ pound), cut into 1/4-inch slices*
• 2 cups summer squash, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 cups broccoli florets, gently rubbed under cold running water, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, sliced into chunks
• 1 onion, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, chopped
• 1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon seasoning blend of choice (Italian, taco, etc.)

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
3. Spread the sausage, veggies, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with your favorite spice blend. Toss with your hands until everything is fully combined and coated with oil and spices.
4. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even cooking.
5. Enjoy with rice, quinoa, or sandwiches.
6. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Main Dishes Side Dishes Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1/6 of recipeCalories: 150Total Fat: 10Saturated Fat: 3Potassium: 6Total Sugars: 5Iron: 6Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 4Protein: 7Fiber: 2Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 10Sodium: 510Cholesterol: 20Photo by Marusa Jonas

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food Processor

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. In a small bowl, mix spices together. Use half the mixture and season the pork chops on all the sides. Wash hands after handling uncooked meat.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook for 3 min, or until meat is browned. Repeat on the other side. Remove from skillet, set aside and keep warm.
4. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
5. Add cabbage, apples, and cranberries and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until apples and cabbage soften slightly. Add broth, vinegar, and any leftover spice mixture.
6. Place pork chops in the skillet and cover them with some of the apple/cabbage mixture.
7. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, then flip the pork chops and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F on a food thermometer.
8. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired.
9. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Main Dishes Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1/6 of recipeCalories: 330Total Fat: 11Saturated Fat: 3Potassium: 15Total Sugars: 22Iron: 10Vitamin D: 6Calcium: 6Protein: 30Fiber: 4Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 30Sodium: 310Cholesterol: 80Photo by Marusa Jonas For Pork Chops:

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 bone-in pork chops
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

For Apple Cranberry Cabbage:

• 2 small apples, scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, grated
• ½ head of cabbage, scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 1 onion, scrubbed with a clean vegetable brush under running water, halved and sliced
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• 1 ¼ cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food Processor

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast or 7-bone roast, trimmed and cut into 6 even-sized pieces
• 1 onion, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, diced
• 1 cup celery, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, diced
• 1 cup carrots, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, diced
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth
• 1 (24 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced OR teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, minced OR 1 teaspoon of dried sage
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Using the saute function on the multi cooker, heat oil. Add half the roast pieces to the pot and sear on two sides. Remove from the pot and repeat with the remaining pieces. Wash hands after handling uncooked meat.
3. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
5. Pour in the vinegar, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and spices, and stir until combined. Add the browned beef pieces.
6. Place lid on multi-cooker and lock according to manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the valve is set to sealing position.
7. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes followed by a 15-minute natural release, then a quick release. Once pin drops, remove lid.
8. Shred the beef to reach the desired consistency and stir.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
10. Serve with pasta, polenta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
11. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Main Dishes Yield: 15 Servings Serving Size: 3/4 cupCalories: 230Total Fat: 8Saturated Fat: 3Potassium: 10Total Sugars: 3Iron: 15Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 2Protein: 32Fiber: 2Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 6Sodium: 100Cholesterol: 90Photo by Marusa Jonas

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food ProcessorNotes: 

Notes:  
*Other types of smoked sausage can be used, such as beef, chicken, turkey, Italian and Polish sausage.  

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 cup onion, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• ¼ cup fresh basil, gently rubbed under cold running water OR 1 Tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 links smoked sausage with Mozzarella cheese (½ pound), cut into 1/4-inch slices*
• 11 ounces whole wheat pasta, uncooked
• 3 cups broccoli florets, gently rubbed under cold running water OR 3 cups frozen chopped broccoli
• ½ cup pasta water
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley or oregano, gently rubbed under cold running water (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, basil and oregano and cook 15 minutes, until slightly reduced. 
4. Add sausage and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add fresh or frozen broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
6. Reserve ½ cup pasta water. Drain the rest of the water from the pasta and broccoli and set aside.
7. Add pasta water and Parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir until combined.
8. Add cooked pasta and broccoli and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir well.
9. Serve topped with more fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano or parsley, if desired.
10. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Main Dishes Yield: 6 servings Calories: 280Total Fat: 15Saturated Fat: 5Potassium: 8Total Sugars: 4Iron: 15Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 10Protein: 13Fiber: 4Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 24Sodium: 450Cholesterol: 30Photo by Marusa Jonas

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Put roast in oven, insert oven thermometer, remove 1 to 3 hours later. EAT. Enjoy any leftovers for 3 to 4 days in such menu items as sandwiches, soups, salads and casseroles. What could be easier?

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Producers should be mindful of their hay feeding practices to reduce financial loss — with no restrictions, cattle can waste nearly 45% of fed hay. Extension educators share insights on how to reduce fed hay losses and the differences between relative feed value and relative forage quality when testing grass hay.

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