In first year, they’ve found that plants produce more CBD when grown indoors HAYSVILLE, Kan. – After one year of growing industrial hemp in test plots, Kansas State University researchers say they’ve moved closer to providing guidance to producers interested in growing the alternative crop in Kansas. In April 2018, Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer signed a bill enacting the Alternative Crop Research Act, leading to the legal production of industrial hemp in the…

(Washington, D.C., December 10, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced agreement on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):   “USMCA is a big win for American workers and the economy, especially for our farmers and ranchers. The agreement improves virtually every component of the old NAFTA, and the agriculture industry stands to gain significantly,”…

With record low unemployment, USDA finalizes rule to promote work (Washington, D.C., December 4, 2019) – At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a final rule to move more able-bodied recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) towards self-sufficiency and into employment. The rule restores the system to what Congress intended: assistance through difficult times, not a way of life. “Americans are generous…

Tracey Erickson SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist Lots of conversations in agriculture lately focuses around labor or the lack of a labor pool of employees. This is the case not only for dairy farms, but also within the entire agriculture industry. In self-reflection, it does raise the question, “Is it me or my operation, is there simply a lack of employees, or is it both?” To examine these questions, we first need to…

Matthew Diersen, Risk & Business Management Specialist, Ness School of Management & Economics, South Dakota State University The October Cattle on Feed report was very close to trade expectations. Placements during September were 2.1 million head, slightly above expectations. Marketings during September were 1.7 million head, even with expectations. The 11.3 million head on feed is 99 percent of a year ago. The placements by weight categories reflected a slight decrease in the…

Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee I have been asked to do a program early next year that focuses on step-by-step marketing. At first thought this would seem extremely elementary to most readers and maybe it is to some. However, my experience has been that many producers who have been in the cattle business for decades do not even consider that every decision they make…

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. Oct. 28, 2019– The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association is hosting a Fall Gathering, at the Parker Ranch near Waurika on Monday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. All area cattlemen are invited to the attend the event and enjoy a delicious beef meal, industry issues update and door prizes. “OCA membership is not required to attend,” said Troy Shelby, OCA South Central District Vice President. “We encourage everyone to invite a friend,…

ShowMe Genetic Services LLC announces its purchase of the Genex Custom Collection facility, Strafford, Mo., from Genex Cooperative. The agreement was finalized Oct. 18, 2019. Locally owned and operated by the Steven and Jamie Rogers family, ShowMe Genetic Services LLC will focus on custom semen collection, freezing, semen and embryo storage, shipping, liquid nitrogen tank refills, and retail sales of artificial insemination breeding supplies. ShowMe Genetic Services is accredited through Certified Semen Services,…

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…

Representatives of the National Pork Producers Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and Iowa State University called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move as quickly as possible to establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank. At a press conference today, these groups recognized the steps USDA has taken to establish the bank, but called for expedient use of mandatory funding included in the 2018 Farm…