Country Properties: How to Select, Invest and Manage Land, Beef Cattle and Pecans

Customer Reviews:

before you buy any book on cattle or other livestock.......2007-09-09

Before buying any book on how to ranch, be aware of what NAIS will do to owning cattle or any other livestock and how it messes with title to your property. have any of you heard of the ridiculous program called NAIS(national animal identification system)? It will require all those who own even one chicken, or other livestock animal, to register their premises (negating title to private property), microchip and file birth, death and movement reports so the govt know where those animals are at any moment. The silly reasons given for this program range from bird flu, mad cow, bioterrorist attack or any number of "you need our help" garabage but the real reason is to benefit multi billion dollar corporate agriculture so they can improve their marketability while sticking it to the rest of us.....[...].

Fabulous find.......2006-07-19

As I was browsing through books on buying country properties, I came across this gem! This book gives wonderful insight into buying country properites and starting a ranch. I used information from it in my purchase of land and it has been invaluable. The Hoff's combined experience gives great insight to all aspects of managing land. It is one of the few books on the market that actually has useful information!

A "Must" Read.......2000-05-26

Country Properties is "must" reading for anyone aspiring to relocating in the country, or who has newly arrived in a rural setting and seeking to make a life and a livelihood there. Country Properties is an authoritative, practical, "reader-friendly" instruction guide to buying a place in the country and taking up an agricultural pursuit. John and Jennifer Hoff provide invaluable details on buying, selling, marketing, and production; tips on enhancing your real estate and agricultural investment; helpful overviews for current owners and managers of country farms, ranches, and estates; insights in to the biology and genetics of agribusiness; provide useful resources; technical illustrations; and a great deal of personal stories, anecdotes and humor. The Hoff's informative text is enhanced with original illustrations by Galen Struve.

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, The Midwest Book Review

Wonderful Work.......1999-11-24

This book gives excellent first hand insight on all aspects of being a ranch property owner. The book's authors did an very thorough job in clearly identifing the key elements of aquiring land, raising cattle, and growing pecans. It motivates one to "Cowboy UP" and buy some property.

What a gem of information!.......1999-09-19

We were ready to buy a piece of land but were not exactly sure how to proceed. Country Properties showed us step by step how to make the right selection, hire a manager, maintain and establish the pastures for our cattle and horses and enjoy the rural setting with peace of mind! Everyone should read this reference book before they venture into the world of rural living and also buy a copy for your manager. He will really appreciate, use and understand these helpful hints! You will end up buying more copies for friends and family. This book is truly one of a kind!

Average customer rating:

Farm & ranch business management
Jim Steward
Manufacturer: Deere & Company, Service Training Dept
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Farm and Ranch Business Management
John Deere
Manufacturer: Cengage Delmar Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding

ASIN: 0866912924

Book Description

Developed with the cooperation of the National FFA Farm Business Management Contest Committee, this book remains the definite text on managing a farm or ranch on sound business principles. An important key to the survival of the farm and ranch is good business management. The new breed of farmer and rancher that is emerging must know how to apply management principles to their operation in order to make the most profit. They must be able to compete and win in a highly volatile worldwide commodity marketplace. Being able to do so requires extensive knowledge of all aspects of the business. Until the First Edition of this book, a serious gap existed in the quest for this knowledge. In response, Deere & Company developed Farm and Ranch Business Management. This was and is a basic book that is the first word on the subject. The experts, as a practical guide for the agribusiness manager, wrote it. It explains in plain English the principles and techniques that every farmer and rancher must know.

Kings of Texas: The 150-Year Saga of an American Ranching Empire

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Surprising insight into King Domain
History mixed with Bitterness.
King of Texas more than Kings
this man can write
First 2/3's was really great, sort of slides after that

Kings of Texas: The 150-Year Saga of an American Ranching Empire
Don Graham
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471394513

Book Description

Praise for KINGS OF TEXAS

"Kings of Texas is a fresh and very welcome history of the great King Ranch. It's concise but thorough, crisply written, meticulous, and very readable. It should find a wide audience."
-Larry McMurtry, author of Sin Killer and the Pulitzer Prize—winning Lonesome Dove

"This book is about the King Ranch, but it is about much more than that. A compelling chronicle of war, peace, love, betrayal, birth, and death in the region where the Texas-Mexico border blurs in the haze of the Wild Horse Desert, it is also an intriguing detective story with links to the present-and a first-rate read."
-H.W. Brands, author of The Age of Gold and the bestselling Pulitzer Prize finalist The First American

Customer Reviews:

Surprising insight into King Domain.......2004-05-05

I bought this tome for my spouse and it sat around the house, unread, until I picked it up myself. I was surprised that this slim volume could explain so much about the founding of the King Ranch and the controversy surrounding its ownership. I was especially interested in the property rights of the missing character, a military cohort and investor of King's whose heirs later sued the King heirs for their ancestor's part of the ranch. All unsuccessfully, of course.

However, this work by Don Graham, whose work I often read in "Texas Monthly Magazine", which centers more on Kleberg than on the later years and workings, is quite interesting. I couldn't put it down until the end. And after yakking it up to my husband, he finally indulged himself in the read. We both recommend it for anyone fascinated by the legends of this gigantic property and its landlords.

History mixed with Bitterness........2004-04-10

Graham begins his tale by informing the reader that he was denied access to the King Ranch's Archives. This immediately sets the tone for the rest of his book as he views the King Ranch through a bitter lens. He spends much of his time writing on the history of the area around the Ranch. He intersperses the document with his personal pronouns and anecdotes of his own experiences. This all culminates in the Big Trials of the King Ranch. This is where his bias against the King Ranch shines. He is clearly opposed to the King Ranch. Foregoing an impartial view of events his prose begins to be colored by his frustrations. This book does give some history of Southern Texas, so it rates a 3 out of 5.

King of Texas more than Kings.......2003-11-15

I took one star away because I dont think the title tells you what the book is about. Most (9 of 14 chapters) of the book is about Richard King, the founder, and the history that took place in South Texas. Only one chapter is devoted to the men who ran the ranch after King. Robert Kleberg, who really made the ranch so wealthy is given little treatment.

However, I did like this book. Its well-written and easy to read. One really gets a sense of what life was like in the late 1800's in South Texas. The later part of the book deals with the impending lawsuit against the King Ranch. Did Richard King swindle his partner's widow out of what was rightfully her's? (about 7,000 acres of prime real estate). The widow's descendants sure think so. Can they win their claim over the power King Ranch? This is a complicated question to answer but the author digs deep into the story. The only bad part is that the case has not yet been settled, so there is no resolution to the engaging battel for money and land.

If you like Texas or western history, you should read this book.

this man can write.......2003-09-11

as a yankee, i didn't think i would be so fascinated by a texas history. what's sad is, we just don't have sprawling sagas like this up in new jersey.

First 2/3's was really great, sort of slides after that.......2003-07-03

The King Ranch is on of the U.S.'s largest working ranches. Its development is a big story in Texas. Its owner, Richard King, migrated to Texas before the Civil War. The ranch was so big, it could swallow up those little states up North with no sweat. Today, the ranch is much bigger as it is international in scope.

There are several books on the King ranch. Some were sponsored by the owners. This is an independant and recent book by an important Texas author.

I found the first 2/3's of the book to be really intriguing and well written. Somewhere about 1/2 way I felt the beginnings of the drumbeat on the Chapman lawsuit against the King ranch. The last part of the book details the lawsuit as it updates the ranches history to modern times. In doing so the book loses its riveting advenuresome focus.

The author did his best in describing the early South Texas conditions and the development of this great Texas accomplishment. I really liked the descriptions of the raids by the Texas Rangers among others.

A Mr. Chapman was an early partner with Richard King on one of the main pieces of this huge ranch. The issue was rooted in a verbal partnership contract on land ownership. Chapman moves away, appears to forget about the property, then dies. The heirs, various decades later, sue for a hunk of the now successful ranch. You would think they would have played a more active role in a huge piece of property... like paying property taxes, approving invoices, etc.

I kept waiting for the author to side with the Chapman's on the lawsuit but that didn't happen. But somehow I just felt a prejudice underneath the surface that the author sided with Chapman. But in the end, the author tried to present both sides of the story. Although King and the Kleburgs are exonerated, the lawsuit left stains on their character after all the accusations.

I think the author didn't know how to present this lawsuit information. So he just dumped the information into the story trying to be as objective as he could... to let the reader decide which side had the better claim. It seemed that there was nothing but lawyers and mad people during the last 1/3 of the book. But in reality much of the growth of the King ranch occurs in the last 1/3 of the book -- particularly the acquisition of larger ranches overseas.

I would have given the book a 5 star if this lawsuit issue would have been toned down. I have no specific recommendations as to how anyone could do any better than what was presented. It was a history book and this aspect of the ranch needs to be told.

Richard King appears as a colorful, feisty Irishman who helps tame wild, hot, inhospitable South Texas. He weathers great set backs, fights the Mexicans stealing his cattle, rebuilds his torched home (33,000 sq. ft. now), sells his agricultural products by running the Yankee blockades during the Civil War, receives forgiveness from the Yankees after the Civil War, builds a great cattle ranch using Texas Longhorns. His heirs, the Kleburgs particularly, carry the ranch to new highs, including overseas. The ranch now is run professionally for the benefit of the heirs and other stockholders.

If you have not read any Texas history, you will like this book What I found striking were the problems that existed back in the 1800's are still with us today. I also was amazed how many pies Richard King had his finger into. He loved to form partnerships.

I give the book 4 stars for the great first part of the book.

Book Description

You can't afford even one accident! Careful planning can help avoid tragic - and costly - accidents. Why do you need this book? The answer is simple: agriculture is a hazardous industry. Farming and ranching can be uniquely rewarding occupations, but if you don't follow safe work practices they can be dangerous. According to the National Safety Council (NSC),there were an estimated 1,200 agricultural work-related deaths and 140,000 disabling work-related injuries in the United States in 1992. But you already knew farming and ranching are filled with danger. What you maybe do not know so well is what you can do about it. This book will tell you. We will tell and show you 21 ways to avoid the No. 1 fatal farm accident...and that's just for starters. We show you very practical ways to avoid pinch points; wrapping, shearing, crushing, and pull-in hazards; thrown objects and freewheeling parts; electrical and stored energy; and much, much more. Farm and Ranch Safety Management is the definitive reference work in rural safety. This 358-page book is filled with EPA, OSHA, and other regulatory agency standards and suggested ways to meet or exceed those standards. Topics covered in simple, straightforward language include safety machine operation, handling toxic chemicals, hazardous waste disposal, and developing an overall safety management plan.

Farm and ranch.(home inprovement category): An article from: Do-It-Yourself Retailing

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Farm and ranch.(home inprovement category): An article from: Do-It-Yourself Retailing
Doug Donaldson
Manufacturer: National Retail Hardware Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Do-It-Yourself Retailing, published by National Retail Hardware Association on August 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1174 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Home improvement stores realized that increased sales in the farm and ranch category has been fueled by the rise in the number of hobby farmers, which is triggered by the relocation of most Americans in the rural areas. To take advantage of this growing trend, stores should well-stocked with animal health and grooming products. They should also sell fencing, watering tanks, pond pumps and chemicals for these products are the most saleable.

Citation Details
Title: Farm and ranch.(home inprovement category)
Author: Doug Donaldson
Publication: Do-It-Yourself Retailing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 1999
Publisher: National Retail Hardware Association
Volume: 177 Issue: 2 Page: 298(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Ranching and Enterprise in Eastern Botswana: A Case Study of Black and White Farmers (International African Library)

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Ranching and Enterprise in Eastern Botswana: A Case Study of Black and White Farmers (International African Library)
Isaac Ncube Mazonde
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ASIN: 0748604677

Book Description

The Cyberlaw course is taken primarily by business majors, but there are also programs that cater to computer science or MIS majors.

Customer Reviews:

Firm grasp of key issues in cyber.......2007-03-04

Rather comprehensive reference guide. Attorney Melvin seems to get at the critical issues relating e-commerce and cyber-law. I recall he appeared on CNBC(Power Lunch I think?)

Jack Gault, Ph.D.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Cyberlaw And E-Commerce Regulation: An Entrepreneurial Approach

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Cyberlaw And E-Commerce Regulation: An Entrepreneurial Approach
Sean P. Melvin
Manufacturer: South-Western College/West
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUK592

Book Description

While some people are natural leaders, everyone can develop leadership skills. This issue discusses leadership qualities such as: knowledge, strategic thinking, communication skills, self-awareness, and developing others. Inside you'll find a self-assessment form.

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Excellent one topic book

This book cooks!

Macho Nachos: 50 Toppings, Salsas, and Spreads for Irresistible Snacks and Light Meals
Kate Heyhoe
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The nacho has universal appeal. It’s a finger food, it crunches, it’s Tex-Mex, it’s tasty. It’s quick and easy, yet it’s still satisfying. Anyone can make a good nacho. It’s casual enough to eat on the couch in front of the game, but it can be gussied up for any occasion: like hamburgers, pizza, and other wildly popular casual foods, nacho variations are vast, and techniques are important.

That’s where Macho Nachos comes in handy, beginning with the fundamentals—what cooking vessel to use, what temperature, which cheeses and chips work best (and which really don’t), how to make cleanup easier, and how to avoid bad results (soggy on the one hand, burnt on the other). Then on to recipes: Speedy Nachos (the easiest recipes) such as Traditional Tex-Mex “Nacho’s Nachos”; Smoked Chicken, Roasted Peppers, and Asiago Cheese Nachos; and Nachos de Carnitas. Then there are Uptown Nachos, for those social situations when it might actually be necessary to tuck the shirt into the pants and perhaps entertain the fairer sex: Jamaican Rum Chicken Nachos; Popcorn Shrimp Baja Nachos; and Crabmeat and Spinach Nachos. There are even Breakfast and Dessert Nachos.

And of course Macho Nachos is a rich source of homemade condiments—the pièce de resistance (if you will) of the well-appointed nacho—for those chefs too advanced to settle for a jar: from classic Pico de Gallo to Ginger-Watermelon Salsa, from Avocado Crema to Chipotle Mayonnaise, here’s everything you’d want to drip, drizzle, or pour over your macho nachos. Don’t leave the couch without it.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent one topic book.......2005-07-26

I own thousands of cookbooks, and this is one of the better one topic books I have run across. All the recipes are easily prepared with easy to find ingredients, and of the 10-12 I have made so far, all have been very tasty. This book will get you out of the typical beef and bean type nachos and into a new world of taste. A lot of the combinations also make excellent pizzas.

This book cooks!.......2004-01-06

I'm not a great cook but I thought I knew how to make nachos. Boy, was I wrong! The recipes in this book take nachos to levels I never dreamed of. Now I can make them not just as a snack but as a full meal. Even my girlfriend wonders where I suddenly learned how to cook.

If you want to salivate, buy this book just for the photos.

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