Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator (originally published in Farm & Dairy) As we move into January the grazing season is over for most and ended long ago for many, such as me, thanks to a dry fall. Now is the time to start putting some thought into breeding decisions. Is this the year to purchase a new bull? What semen do I need to order so it will be…
(San Antonio, TX, January 17, 2020) – Delivering on his promise to act on feedback from dietary professionals, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced two proposals today that will put local school and summer food service operators back in the driver’s seat of their programs, because they know their children best. Under the school meals proposed rule, school nutrition professionals have more flexibility to serve appetizing and healthy meals that appeal to…
YELLVILLE, Ark., Jan. 21, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Arkansas State Director David Branscum announced USDA has invested $7.1 million in two, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 1,250 rural households in north central Arkansas. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. “Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, more than 1,250 Arkansans living in…
Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist Structuring a calving program that best suites farm and ranch operations can be challenging. Of primary concern are: weather, labor, market timing, and animal health considerations, with weather possibly being the most volatile factor, as it ranges from challenging to catastrophic in some years. Evaluating alternatives that can improve calving conditions and quality of life, while also reducing financial and health risks is an important step…
Written collaboratively by Russ Daly, Christopher Chase, Travis Clement and Matt Dammen. Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is among the most important pathogens affecting today’s beef and dairy cattle operations. Associated with reproductive, digestive, and respiratory illnesses in cattle, the virus can also create a congenital, persistent infection in calves, greatly aiding the virus’ spread within and between herds. Testing and removal of these persistently infected (BVDV-PI) calves is the hallmark of BVDV…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input to help with the creation of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), a new program that will expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels. “Feedback from farmers, retailers and biofuels producers is critical to the success of this future program,” Agriculture Secretary Perdue said. “Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA remains…
K-State beef experts weigh factors in breeding decisions MANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the most exciting times of the year on cow/calf operations is when the calves are born and producers can see the results of their breeding decisions. Experts from the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University say it can also be stressful and costly if those mating decisions lead to calving difficulties, which is why much care needs to be…
Kansas State University will host the 2020 Winter Ranch Management Seminar series in five Kansas locations beginning in late January. Seminars begin in late January at five sites in Kansas MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University officials will focus on strategies to enhance profits during the Winter Ranch Management Seminar series, which will be held at five sites in Kansas beginning in January. The meetings feature presentations and comments by K-State Research and…
K-State bringing risk management experts to Manhattan April 14-16 MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University has set the dates for a conference that organizers say will arm food companies and others in the industry to better manage the challenges of producing their products. The conference, ‘Managing Commodity Market and Financial Risk,’ is set for April 14-16 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. It…
The Beef Quality Assurance program continues to grow significantly, with more than 100,000 cattle producers now certified through its online learning system. The online option was introduced by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in early 2017. Since the BQA program was initiated in the early 1990s hundreds of thousands have become BQA-certified through in-person and online training, with an estimated 85 percent of the U.S. fed beef…