Welcome back to Alpena, SD, where the Baruth family is at work keeping the farm operating at summer capacity and balancing the business demands of 6B Seed and Supplies!
What’s New
By Lisa Baruth
This past couple of weeks have flow by.
On the cow/calf front it seems to move from just finishing up calving to focusing on the next years calf crop. We keep back our own replacement heifers, which means that calves we raise are kept in the herd and grow up to become mama cows.
The last two years we decided to synchronize and AI(artificially inseminate) the heifers.This allows us to get a better conception rate and have calves born earlier, which means bigger calves at weaning and a more uniform set of calves to sell. This is fairly involved as we have to run the heifers through the chute three times.
Summer Crop Watching
Row crop farming had transitioned from the push of planting to monitoring the crop. 
We check our fields weekly for weeds, pests, and anything else that could cause problems. With farming we know there are going to be problems, but being diligent and dealing with them in a timely fashion is key.
The early summer also brings the welcome smell of fresh cut alfalfa. Haying is a very important part of summer work on the farm, this ensures we have feed for our livestock through the winter.
Alfalfa is a great crop, and if there’s good moisture, we can get two to three cuttings. Alfalfa is a great source of protein for our cattle, and we like to raise as much feed ourselves as we can.
Summer Life of 6B Seed and Supplies
Lastly 6B Seed and Supplies kicks into gear with feed, mineral, and net wrap sales. As Hubbard Feed dealers we carry a full line of summer minerals and feed for cattle and other livestock.
We understand the importance of proper nutrition as it not only ensures the health of your herd but also contributes to a higher conception rate, which in turn contributes to your bottom line.
We also carry net wrap and twine for summer haying. We want our customers to have good products and have them accessible when needed. ‘Farmers’ hours’ definitely apply when it comes to haying as a lot of net wrap is picked up in the evenings and on the weekends.
Most importantly we were blessed enough to get a rain this past week.