Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wrens named Nevada County Farm Family of the Year part 2

Janis takes care of the bills and books, while also pitching in with the record keeping during the working of the cattle (vaccinations, castrations, etc.) as does Kelley when she's not in college.

The Wrens have learned through experience, getting help from their uncle who's a nutritionist and assisted with the feeding program. "We feed his liquid feed along with good hay and minerals," he said. "We pretty much had to learn things hands on and the hard way."

Along with the 250 pair of cows and calves, there are another 50-75 replacement heifers.

Once a calf is weaned, they are kept 45 days or more to qualify for Vac 45, a weaning program consisting of a number of shots. This allows them to put back on the shrink caused by the stress of weaning. The program keeps the calves healthy and allows the Wrens to get a premium when they decide to sell.

They take soil samples and fertilize accordingly to help maximize efficiency. With improving their grass and hay, weight gains have go up 10-20 percent, with the conception rate around 95 percent. The Wrens grow the majority of the hay used.

An old chicken house and a new 90 foot by 100 foot barn is where the hay is stored to keep it in the dry. They store between 1,200 to 1,400 rolls and 5,000-10,000 square bales.

The north farm is the home place and where the cattle operation began 10 years ago. Prior to being used for cattle, it was row crop land and heavily populated with thorn brush. The Wrens have planted dallisgrass and fescue with several varieties of clovers. They plan to cross fence the land this winter and install a watering system throughout the entire farm. Shade trees will be planted to accommodate new pastures.

Weeds are controlled by spot spraying.

The south farm is the old cattle farm. The old fences were torn down with the land cross fenced, adding a watering system. The pastures can be divided into seven acre each if desired. The cattle rotate regularly, making penning them easy. The farm was originally an old chicken farm, and had to be treated aggressively for weeds. The land was sprayed with a 30-foot boom on a tractor, and spot treated where possible. For smaller areas a 10-foot boom was used on an ATV.

The tree farm, called "Noel's Place" belonged to Janis's parents and is where she grew up. It's heavily wooded with pines, though there are a few Bermuda hay meadows on the sandy hills. Three years ago it was all bahiagrass until it was decided this was a waste of good land. They disced, sprayed and fertilized it and now have it 90 percent in Bermuda.

Little timber management has been done, but the Wrens are examining their options.

Yearling horses are purchased at Keeneland each September. The horses are resold as two-year-olds in training six months later. Steve and Brandon are 50-50 partners in the pinhooking operation. Steve attends the sales and buys the horses, breaks and trains them, then sells them privately or at auction.

This is done through the cattle operation to bring in extra income and help defray expenses.

Records are kept in a handwritten notebook of training charts on each horse. The charts help keep up with everything done to each animal daily. These charts are stored for future reference.

The same is done for cattle in each pasture as to calving dates, etc. However, the Wrens have began using the Cattle Max computer program to help keep up with everything done to the cattle.

Most household records are kept by hand and in a file. An accountant takes care of their taxes and business accounts.

The family tries to have balanced meals and watch the amount of fats and carbohydrates, trying to keep the intake low. Farm and yard work keeps the family active, while the family also plays golf.

The immediate family tries to get together at least once a week for a family meal, though there are extended family gatherings at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Some summer vegetables are put up in the freezer, while the cooking and baking are done at home. The Wrens have a thermal-convection range with built in oven. This cuts the cooking time down and helps reduce energy costs. There are two water heaters in the house, one for laundry and kitchen and the other for the bathrooms at the opposite end of the house.

Janis enjoys working on embroidery and cross stitch.

The house was build on an open pasture, with trees planted for future shade. Flower beds were added in the landscaping around the house and yard. The flower beds include plants that attract hummingbirds and beneficial insects.

The house is all electric, with a heat pump used to provide central heat and air. The structure has extra insulation in the exterior walls and attic, while the windows are double pane. There is a Country Flame cast iron wood fireplace box with doors for additional heat in the living area.

Steve is a big supporter of the Lions Club and is a member of First Baptist Church and the Nevada County Cattlemen's Association.

Janice is also a member of First Baptist, serving in the past as a Sunday school teacher.

Brandon and his wife, Lisa, have a one-year-old daughter, Jade. Brandon attended Henderson and Southern Arkansas University studying agriculture. He and Lisa are members of Garrett Memorial Baptist Church. Lisa graduated from UCA with a Bachelor's of Science degree. She is an occupational therapist, employed at Haynes Sports Therapy and Recreation in Hope.

Kelley and her husband, Cory, have a son on the way, with the baby due in October. Kelley was Miss PHS in 1998 and attends HSU where she's studying elementary education. She and Cory are members of First Baptist. Cory graduated from SAU with a degree in agriculture business. He is employed with Farm Bureau in Hempstead County.