Farm & Ranch

Monday was supposed to be the last day that one would be able to get a guarantee of delivery for Christmas packages if you wanted them to get there in time for the anointed day. We might suppose that it could dependwith whom one might ship the packages. We also hear rumblings from the head shed in Washington, or wherever the headquarter of the Post Office islocated, that USPS is broke again & they are trying to streamline expenses by closing some remote locations.

Receipts totaled 2068 head for the week. The market was active and demand strong as prices remained steady after the past month’s big increases. The stocker and feeder steers all sold steady with several of the steer calves selling over $2.00/lb up to $2.25/lb. Packer cows were $3 higher and bulls $4 higher.

During the December 12, 2011 San Saba City Council meeting, Scott Meador, Animal Control Officer for the city, presented a slide program documenting the increase in confirmed rabies cases within central Texas and specifically within the San Saba city limits. Mr. Meador cited statistics provided through the Region 7 Texas Department of State Health Services “World Rabies Day Conference” held September 28 in Temple.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently hosted 11 news conferences at different locations across the state, appealing to the public to visit state parks and make donations to help offset a revenue loss caused by heat, drought, wildfires and a resulting drop in park visitor revenue.“A ‘triple whammy’ of record heat and drought, devastating wildfires and a corresponding decline in visitation and revenue has created a critical need for Texas State Parks,” said C ...

Receipts totaled 4002 head for the week. The market continued its strong tone after the advance in the market these last 5 weeks. One set of 5 steers weighing 308 pounds sold for $228cwt and another set of steers weighing 576 pounds sold for $171cwt. Stocker steers sold $5 higher and the heifers sold $5-$6 higher.

The following items are compiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.•Wife bags her first buck…Not! Terrell County Game Wardens Saul Aguilar and Kenneth Stannard entered a hunting camp on Oct. 5 and noticed a tagging violation on a hanging 10-point white-tailed buck. As the wardens talked with the couple staying at the camp, they noted the man’s wife was particularly excited about her first buck.

San Saba, TX - The general hunting season begins November 5 and hunters will be doing their part to alleviate hunger in Texas through the Hunters for the Hungry program. Food assistance agencies such as food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters count on venison from Hunters for the Hungry to help stretch agency budgets and provide a nutritious source of protein to the people they serve.

Seven girl's homes came to Camp Gene Ashby to participate in the "Take a Child Hunting" program with Operation Orphans, Inc., Friday, November 11. Boys & Girls Country, Hockley; Methodist Children's Home Main Campus, Waco; Cherokee Home, Cherokee; Texas Baptist Home, Round Rock; Presbyterian Children's Home, Waxahachie; and Don & Nadine Hughes Foster Home, San Angelo brought 19 girls to go deer hunting Saturday, November 12.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Lampasas County, will sponsor a 5 CEU Conference on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at the Lampasas County Farm Bureau (1793 N US Hwy 281, Lampasas). This program will be for individuals who possess a valid private applicators license, a commercial applicators license, or a non-commercial applicators license, and would like continuing education units (CEUs) to help with fulfilling their re-certification requirements.

Most of the folks around our parts seemed to be only beginning to enjoy Fall & October, whilst finding ourselves already half through November and planning our Turkey Day dinners. We enjoyed good, general rains over most parts of the County during the 1st part of October that went a long way toward filling the creeks, rivers, & ponds around the area, as well as a couple of light showers during the early part of November.