Partnership will have long-term benefits

"We like developing the heifers out here, then we don't have to wonder if they are going to do well on the fescue pastures in Missouri and further east," Fodge said.

By Doug Rich

Partnership with a large western ranch was the right move for Bob and Lynn Fodge of Paris, Mo.

"I think alliances are something we all have to look at in this day and age in order to survive," Lynn Fodge said. "We feel very lucky to be associated with the people at Stevenson-Basin Angus. They are a pretty progressive, forward thinking bunch of people."

Progressive and forward thinking also describes Hopewell Farm.

Fodge said they moved from Indiana to Missouri in 1999 when urban sprawl began encroaching on their farm near Indianapolis.

"We had been using Basin bred stock for better than 25 years," Fodge said. "We were pleased to partner more closely with them after we moved out here."

Stevenson-Basin Angus is the largest seedstock producer in North America. Hopewell Farm develops heifers and feeds out bulls for the Montana based Angus breeder.

"The cow herd here has stabilized," Fodge said. "Originally we brought in cows from Indiana, Montana, and a set from Wyoming. "We have stabilized the herd now and are not bringing in females right now. We breed, calve, and raise our own replacements here."

Unless the ranch in Montana runs short on grass Fodge said they will not be bringing in anymore females to their operation.

"Our cow herd is bred identically to the cow herd out west," Fodge said. "The breeding program is the same and our genetics are growing along the same plan."

"We like developing the heifers out here, then we don't have to wonder if they are going to do well on the fescue pastures in Missouri and further east," Fodge said. "We know they do."

Most of their pastures are improved fescue overseeded with legumes. They began frost seeding legumes into their fescue pastures shortly after moving to Missouri.

"We are in the process of developing warm season grasses for summer grazing," Fodge said.

Fodge has nearly 50 acres of switchgrass, part of it planted this spring.

"The switchgrass looks great," Fodge said. "It takes a while to get those stands looking good, because they are slow to develop."

The switchgrass was clear seeded. After the switchgrass is growing they come in and overseed with legumes, mostly clovers.

"Switchgrass comes on early enough that we hope we will be able to take hay cuttings off early while the fescue is growing and then come back in late June and July when the fescue shuts down," Fodge said.

Nearly all of their grass is in an intensive grazing system of some kind. Fodge said they began using intensive grazing while they lived in Indiana and brought the practice with them to Missouri. Like a lot of places, their farm was put together out of several smaller farms. This means they have several different grazing systems rather than one that begins at a central point.

"Most are at least an eight-paddock system but some of them have more, depending on the acreage," Fodge said.

Even the rented grass is on some type of rotational grazing system.

"We rent a 150-acre pasture that is one of the neatest intensive grazing systems you will ever find," Fodge said. "It is a low dollar, high performance system that works really well."

This system was already in place when they rented the 150 acres. Fodge said they were lucky to rent it because the owner likes to manage his grass.

"The man knows his grass," Fodge said. "He moves cows when he wants to move cows and if he needs help, we go help. We are happy with it and so is he."

Normally, they take 100 head to this 16-paddock system and run them from April to June. Then pull off 30 to 35 head and run the rest on through the year.

"We like to calve here at home so it makes it a little challenging, but easier to weigh and tag everything," Fodge said.

Fodge said they try to have really good perimeter fencing and use one or two wire hot fences on the interior. They have laid miles of water line since moving to Missouri.

"We don't use ponds as our primary water sources," Fodge said. "We fence the ponds out and only have one place where cows can wade in the water. That won't be the case by the end of this summer."

All of the ponds are setup as back up watering systems to be used if the need arises. Everything else is hooked up to deep wells.

Fodge said their operation is a little odd when it comes to their intensive grazing systems. Although they do intensive grazing they have a need for a lot of stored feed because they run a feedlot for their bulls and do some custom feeding for other seedstock producers. The bulls spend most of their time out on pasture but are provided with supplemental rations in the feedlot.

"I have heard people say if you manage your grass right you can get rid of all your equipment ," Fodge said. "We don't fall into that category. We can't get rid of all our equipment ."

Hopewell Farm has something that Stevenson-Basin does not, a fall breeding program. Fodge sees this as an advantage because they get to use some of the new herd bulls first. A Canadian bull called King is a recent addition to the Stevenson-Basin herd and his first calves will hit the ground in Missouri not Montana.

"We will have the first King calves on the ground here this fall," Fodge said.

All of the cows and heifers at Hopewell Farms are bred according to the fixed time artificial insemination program developed by Dr. David Patterson at the University of Missouri. Everything is fixed time bred, artificially inseminated once, then turned out for natural service.

They use a 10-day fixed time artificial insemination protocol that begins with a GnRH shot and CIDR insertion. Seven days later the cows are given a Lutalyse shot and the CIDR insert is removed. Sixty-six hours later the cows are inseminated and given another GnRH shot. Heifers follow a similar protocol but are bred 54 hours after the CIDR insert is removed.

"Our cleanup bulls are actually ones that are being collected and used as AI sires throughout the country," Fodge said. "We physically stored them here and are able to use them."

The timed AI system has worked very well for them. The heifers have a conception rate between 72 and 75 percent on the AI service. The cows do almost as well. Fodge said their overall conception rate is 62 to 68 percent.

Bob and Lynn Fodge want their farm to be a multi-generational operation for their sons Alec and Bobby and Bobby's fiancé, Patty, who are part of the family business. A strong partnership with Stevenson-Basin Angus will help them achieve that goal.

Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com.

8/6/07

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