Page 4 Farming in Monroe, Monroe County Beacon, Woodsfield, Ohio Arden is striving for that goal by purchasing the

more expensive semen from his supplier. He said he just purchased some for $175 (a price on the high-end), but the prices vary throughout the year and according to how much is purchased. Arden explained the delicate nature of the process: The semen is good for seven days, but the window of opportunity to breed a sow is only 30 hours. As the sow goes through her cycle, her eggs come through in a row, like a string of pearls. Arden said you generally give her two doses to ensure she was hit at the right time, but with the more expensive semen you may only try once. The entire process of breeding follows certain strategies to try to get the best hog possible. Frank said that part of the breeding game is keeping up with the current market trend. Five to six years ago, everyone wanted super lean hogs. But they found out they didnt taste good, Frank observed. He noted now they want a beefier hog with more marbling in the meat. Frank said, Of course, theyre still leaner now than in the old days when they were bred for fat. He told stories of how, in the past, you would take the hog to a butcher and be given a thirty pound bag of fat when you picked up the meat. Now that people dont use hog fat for cooking, theres no use for it, and those qualities have been bred out of the hogs. Standing by a pen of hogs, Frank pointed out the depression down the center of their backs. Thats muscle definition, he said. He informed me that when hogs were bred for fat that groove wasnt there, and they were just round on top. As society changes, apparently the hogs change with it. After being in the hog business for so long, Frank Arden has faced all sorts of challenges. What has motivated him to persist is his passion for hogs that was immediately evident the entire time he spoke to me about the farm. Its been thirty great years, Arden summed up while he gazed over his farm.

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Frank truly loves what he does. The thing you realize when spending time with him is that he is excited to share his knowledge about hogs. Arden himself is constantly learning about hogs. His current focus lies in trying to find the best ways to breed quality hogs. While most of his efforts revolve around artificial insemination, he does pursue natural breeding methods as well. In the foreground is his new boar that will do a lot of breeding. The boar came from an excellent litter. Frank said he tried to keep the best one out of the bunch but its hard to tell when theyre younger. He sold the other boar to someone and tried to keep the best one. She might have gotten the best one though, he said.

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Moores Have Transformed Neglected Land Into a Thriving Beef Farm

Thursday, April 26, 2012 Darin Brown Staff Writer Eric and Kayla Moore began with nearly nothing when they decided to purchase their property between Woodsfield and Jerusalem in October of 2007. There was no barn on the property nor any source of water. What was worse is that, covering much of their acreage, were wild, tangled woods. Eric said people asked them if they were crazy when they said they were going to have a farm. After plenty of hard work (and money spent), the Moores now have an operating beef farm, Moore Cattle Company, and are still expanding. The Moores now have 25 Shorthorn beef cattle roaming their new farm with aspirations of having more soon. Looking out on the pasture, its hard to believe within just a couple of years it has transformed from woods to grass. Eric said, after first clearing the land, he took a soil sample to Green Valley Co-op. After analyzing the soil, the employee looked at him and asked, Does anything grow out there? The Moores used a lot of fertilizer, lime, manure and hay to doctor the soil to the point it would be able to sustain grazing. The Moores also keep the pasture in good condition through a method called rotational grazing. Their set-up includes four paddocks that are separated by fencing and gates. They will keep the cattle in one paddock until the grass is grazed down to about four inches, then they will move them to the next. Eric said of rotational grazing, The idea with this system is youre basically mocking the movement of cattle in the plains. Eric said he learned about rotational grazing through a week-long class offered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service department of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said the class taught him how to set up the system at no cost to him. He recommends that those just starting out in farming should pursue such options. There is money available for people if they want to sign up and take advantage of it, he said. The results of all the effort spent on setting up good pasture can be seen in the thriving herd at the Moore Cattle Company. The Moores built their herd from only two heifers. When I asked Eric about why he chose the Shorthorn breed, he said, while the breed is known for its marbling and carcass quality, their decision was based around their temperament. According to Eric, Shorthorn cattle are one of the most docile breeds of cattle Continued on Page7

Farming in Monroe, Monroe County Beacon, Woodsfield, Ohio Page 5

The Moores purchased their land in October of 2007 and then were presented with the unenviable task of clearing the land for farm use. When they began, the land was covered in woods. After a lot of excavating and plenty of fertilizer, the land was transformed into a farm. Now, the Moores own rolling hills of green that serve as pasture for their Shorthorn cattle. Kayla and Eric had time to pose for a quick picture before the herd reached us. Although only one cow can be seen in the photo, we were surrounded by sevPhotos by Darin Brown eral of their tame cattle moments later.

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