K-State, KDA offer produce safety training

Growers can attend at one of three sites MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have set dates for three upcoming workshops focused on food safety training for fresh produce growers. The training is designed to familiarize commercial fruit, vegetable and herb growers with compliance parameters under the Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law in 2011. The workshops are Nov. 8 in Parsons, Kansas; Nov. 15…

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Not All Rainfall Is Effective

By Hugh AljoeDirector of Producer Relations The old adage, “We are never more than three weeks away from a drought,” is commonly used by producers here in the southern Great Plains. However, depending on the management of the property, drought may be closer than some think and considerably further out for others. A 3-inch rain may result in different outcomes for different producers even if the pastures and soils are similar. The observable…

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Prussic Acid Poisoning in Grazing Livestock

By Kiran Mysore, Ph.D.Professor Plants in the sorghum family can grow in dry climatic conditions, where summer temperatures are above 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsious), and on somewhat marginal lands. Sorghums are C4 crops in the grass family and are characterized by their high photosynthetic efficiency. Sorghum-sudan grass hybrids are well suited as forage crops since they can produce more biomass than forage or grain sorghums. With these characteristics, sorghum-sudan grasses could…

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Grazing Native Grass Pastures Is More Economical Than Feeding Hay to Cows in Winter

Robert Wells, Ph.D.Livestock Consultant It is typically reported that cow winter supplementation accounts for 40 to 60% of the total annual cost of maintaining a cow, but that cost depends greatly on whether hay is being supplemented in lieu of dormant standing forage for the cow. When you can supply standing forage in the form of native grass pasture instead of a bale of hay, the total winter feed cost will be dramatically…

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Low-stress cattle handling workshop set Oct. 25 in Canyon

A “Low-Stress Cattle Handling Workshop” will be hosted Oct. 25 in Canyon by the Veterinary Education, Research and Outreach, or VERO, West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Ron Gill, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist, College Station, will discuss low-stress cattle handling. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter) The free program will be from 9-11 a.m. in the Bain Event Center,…

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Frost-damaged soybean need special attention

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Late maturing soybean face damage from early killing frost and need special attention for harvest and storage, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold. Harvest frost-damaged soybean based on seed moisture content rather than how plants look after frost, says Wiebold. Delaying harvest after damaging frost results in grain shatter and subsequent yield loss. Soybean breeders select for shattering tolerance and normally the seam of the soybean pods…

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Dimick delivers reality check on world’s changing environment

Former National Geographic editor says humans have become dominant force on the planet MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former National Geographic environment editor Dennis Dimick offered a dose of reality to the debate on the world’s changing climate Monday, but noted that humans have the ability to provide solutions to complex challenges. “The basic equation that stands today is that we have benefitted greatly by the use of ancient carbon fossil fuels, like coal and…

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Prussic Acid Poisoning

As the first frost date approaches, producers often have concerns about the risk of prussic acid poisoning in livestock. Certain forage plants, especially sorghums and related species are associated with an increased risk of death loss because of prussic acid poisoning. Understanding how poisoning occurs and what factors are involved in contributing to those conditions will help producers take management steps to minimize their risk. What is Prussic Acid and How Does Poisoning…

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USDA Recognizes Hard-Working School Meals Professionals, Empowers Them to Do Right in School Lunchrooms

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2019 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement in support of President Donald J. Trump’s National School Lunch Week Proclamation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) celebrates food service professionals, school leaders, as well as the farmers, ranchers, and producers who grow the delicious, healthful, American-grown foods that kids enjoy every day in school lunches. “At USDA we recognize the importance a healthy lunch has…

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Huge Beef Quality Price Spreads

David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Beef production has dipped below a year ago over the last couple of weeks, leading to some higher fed cattle prices and a widening Choice-Select price spread. Over the last four weeks total beef production is more than half a percent below the same period a year ago. As we all know, not all beef is the same. Over this period,…

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