Plan Now to Control Weeds With Grazing Next Season

Pete Bauman SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist South Dakota Invasive Plants Canada goldenrod is a native flowering plant in South Dakota, but it is generally considered as a grazing ‘increaser’ and is relatively undesirable by landowners at high densities. Canada thistle and perennial sow thistle are both common noxious weeds in South Dakota requiring that managers control the production and spread of seed. S.D. DISTRIBUTION MAPS: Canada thistle, S.D. Department of AgriculturePerennial sow thistle, S.D. Department of…

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USDA Forest Service Announces Key Changes to NEPA Procedures

The USDA Forest Service today announced the publication of a final rule implementing key changes to its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. The changes include new tools and flexibilities to tackle critical land management challenges as part of a broader agency effort to better serve the American people through timely, high-quality management decisions affecting infrastructure, permitting and restoration of natural resources on their national forests and grasslands. “These changes will ensure we…

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Fall Grazing Thoughts

Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Morgan County (originally published in Farm and Dairy) Would placing water in strategic locations improve your pasture management? Well, the growing season may be over but the grazing season may not. My whole career I have heard many talking about how long the grazing rotation should be: maybe 14 days in the spring or 60 in late summer during dry weather. I have also heard the discussion over which is…

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Reducing Winter Feed Costs

Clif Little, OSU Extension Agriculture Natural Resources, Guernsey County (this article was originally appeared in Farm and Dairy) Stockpiled fescue with small round bales can be utilized for winter strip grazing. Photo by Clif Little Winter feed represents one of the largest components of annual cow cost. Approximately seventy five percent of the annual feed cost for cattle is winter feed. One way to increase the profit potential in the cow herd is to…

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First Ever Joint Partnership with Angus Australia

Angus Australia and the American Angus Association partner on foot score phenotypes.             The American Angus Association® introduces the first ever partnership with Angus Australia and the Canadian Angus Association to combine foot score phenotypes from all three databases. Following promising results from research conducted by AGI®, the first updated foot score EPDs including phenotypes from all three databases will be published on November 27. “Using all three of these databases will be valuable to…

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USDA Opens Registration for the 2021 Agricultural Outlook Forum

The 2021 Forum Will Be Virtual and Registration Is Free Registration is now open for the 97th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), the largest annual meeting and premiere event of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The two-day Forum will take place on Feb. 18-19, 2021. Due to COVID-19 and current restrictions on large gatherings in the Washington, D.C. area, USDA will hold the 2021 Forum virtually for the first time and registration will…

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Cattle Chat: Measuring genetic success at sale time

K-State beef cattle experts say post-weaning sale weight isn’t the only factor in the equation MANHATTAN, Kan. — Experts at the Beef Cattle Institute say an animal’s performance at sale time is often considered the test for the outcome of breeding decisions, but it is only a small consideration in measuring genetic success. Brad White, veterinarian and BCI director, laid out the following scenario to kick off a recent Cattle Chat podcast about evaluating the…

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K-State researchers land $760K grant to boost safety of food

Vipham says food safety impacts public health, human prosperity MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State University researcher says that a $760,000 grant from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety will boost efforts to protect the safety of food across the country and world. Jessie Vipham, an assistant professor in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, will lead the 3 ½ year project that begins in November and will involve experts in…

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K-State ag economist explains benefits of profitability maps

Precision agriculture has opened management options for farmers MANHATTAN, Kan. – Satellites, yield monitors and numerous other technologies have given farmers massive amounts of information about how crops perform on their land. The challenge they often find, however, is how to make sense of that data. Terry Griffin, a precision agriculture economist at Kansas State University, said yield maps – developed from the volumes of data collected in a field -- have become…

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Poll Shows Americans’ Unwavering Trust in Farmers and Approval of Sustainability Practices

A majority of U.S. adults have a positive view of farmers’ sustainability practices, and an overwhelming majority trust farmers, according to a new national public opinion poll from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The survey of 2,200 U.S. adults found that more than half (58%) rate the sustainability practices of U.S. farmers positively, with broad agreement from a majority of adults across demographic groups.   Nearly nine in 10 adults (88%) trust farmers, a 4%…

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