It’s easy for the mind to wander during the intense summer heat.
But Andrew McCrea says it’s important to maintain focus, noting that summer pasture work is vital to keeping the McCrea Family Farms’ northwestern Missouri stocker operation on schedule year-round.
“For us, grass is critical regardless of the season,” McCrea says. “We prioritize our pastures and take care of them and invest in them.”
McCrea runs the fifth-generation crop and cattle enterprise near Maysville with his dad, M.L., and 16-year-old son, Luke. Throughout the year, mostly Missouri-sourced 400- to 500-pound calves arrive at the farm, which is about an hour northeast of St. Joseph. They’ll spend approximately five months grazing a dozen or so bluegrass and fescue pastures as calves. When calves reach 900 pounds, the McCreas weigh and sort them into load lots and send them up the road to a southwestern Iowa sale barn.
“We monitor grazing pressure and stocking rates closely,” Andrew explains. “That’s especially important during the summer, because we have mostly cool-season grasses. We make sure we don’t overgraze.”
Summer pasture monitoring also includes keeping a close watch for broadleaf weeds and brush.
“We spray most of our pasture acres every other year with DuraCor herbicide,” Andrew says. “That prevents any major problems. It’s important we continue scouting through the summer to catch any escapes. We can’t afford to lose grazing space and forage production.”
The McCreas have relied on Range & Pasture products from Corteva Agriscience and its legacy companies for more than 30 years. Today, the McCreas count on DuraCor® herbicide for broadleaf weeds and Remedy® or Remedy® Ultra herbicide when woody plants pop up. They continue to increase acres devoted to UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed and the convenience and cost savings a single application of weed control and fertilizer brings.
Get the full story on McCrea Family Farms’ year-round approach at Corteva.us/McCreaSummer.
™ ® ℠ Trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Under normal field conditions, DuraCor® is nonvolatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Consult the label for full details. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. UltiGraz℠ with fertilizer is available for use with specific herbicides in the states of AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy® and Remedy® Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions. ©2024 Corteva. 018993 BR (07/24) CARPRANG051
