Bite-Size Bovines: Wood County Ranchers Save With Smaller Sized Steers
By ADAM WADSWORTH
Staff Writer
Posted
on
Thursday, August 06, 2009
WINNSBORO - If you look out your left window as you drive south on Wood County County Road 4778 you may have the impression you have hit another growth spurt.
Actually, you are
not any taller than before; rather you are looking at the herd of miniature
Hereford cattle at Falster Farm.
Karl and Nancy Falster, the proprietors of the farm, added the breed in 1999,
and it is now their primary source of income.
Ms. Falster said the breed is about one-half the size of a traditional bovine.
"Cattle are what we're all about financially," Falster said. "We raise other
animals but the miniature Hereford and the 'Hershey' are the primary."
She said the
animals' smaller stature allows them to feed solely on grass, and hay in the
colder months, without any added hormones or grains.
This low-maintenance diet makes it easier for the Falsters to turn a profit.
"Most cows are so large they can't make it on grass alone, so they are fed
cattle cubes," Falster said, "and it's so hard to make any money that way."
Luke Nickols, 2, keeps a close eye on the chickens
while collecting their eggs on the Falster Farm
outside Winnsboro, TX.
She said because the
price of corn also has skyrocketed, grass is by far the cheapest route.
The better health of the animals is another benefit of the all-grass diet.
Falster said the problems that come with red meat stem from the way most beef cows are raised.
He said most northern Feed Lot farms cram 500 to 5,000 head of cattle onto small plots of land and feed them only artificial sustenance and many times use growth hormones.
At Falster Farm, you will find the cattle have plenty of room to roam, moving to another particularly grassy spot when they have worn out one, she said.
"Raising good things to eat in small packages," Falster said is the motto of the farm.
The gourmet beef industry is one of the two primary markets the Falsters sell.
She said some Herefords are now used for producing small, high-quality beef cuts to gourmet restaurants.
In this industry, the Falsters work with companies in New Orleans, St. Louis, Houston and Dallas.
Although the Hereford was the dominant breed of beef cattle for many years when settlers first came to this area, Falster said his biggest market now is selling the animals for pets.
"Retired people want docile cows for small acreage," he said, "maybe to pair with other miniature animals."
In addition to their ability to live in smaller areas and their low maintenance diet, Falster said the Herefords have flourished in this market because it is more difficult for them to hurt people.
Because of their smaller size, a buyer's children or grandchildren are able to be in close contact with the animals without fear of major injury.
A smaller third market the Falsters have become involved with is breeding.
Prospective Hereford owners looking to begin their own stock of cattle can either purchase a bull from Falster Farm or buy semen to artificially inseminate a cow on their own.
Falster said one of the reason's his line of Herefords is so desirable is because of its tendency to be particularly docile.
He said the original cow was very calm and all his bulls so far have tended to follow that characteristic, even allowing people to ride around on their backs.
Although the cattle are their main source of income, the Falsters grow food products, including corn, watermelons, peas and tomatoes, and raise other animals, such as goats, chickens, ducks and horses.
Mrs. Falster said many people are unfamiliar with the how farming industry works and the amount of labor involved.
"This has to be done every day before we go anywhere," she said as she separated the younger goats for feeding. "People who don't farm don't know that all these chores have to be done before we go to church on Sunday."
Mrs. Falster had a young helper with her in the energetic person of her 2-year-old grandson, who was enthusiastically throwing feed to the chickens.
She said she and her husband have plans for when they retire, as she pointed to the blue and white sailboat hanging in the rafters of the barn, but for now they are enjoying their life on the farm.
Nancy Falster and her 2-year-old grandson Luke play with “Cibolo,” a Miniature Hereford bull, on July 23, on Falster Farm outside Winnsboro. The Falsters have provided and memorized names for each one of their miniature animals.