Farmers to Families Food Box Program Surpasses 100 Million Boxes Delivered

(Washington, D.C., September 29, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that more than 100 million food boxes have been distributed in support of American farmers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Earlier this month, the Department announced it had entered into contracts with 50 entities for the third round of food box deliveries, which include contracts to purchase…

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Capitalizing on Cow Costs: Part 2

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist In a previous article, Capitalizing on Cow Costs, reducing feed costs to improve cow efficiency was discussed. To continue the conversation, another area of cost reduction is in cull cows, bulls and calf death loss. Cull cows and bulls as well as calf death loss in the herd can play a significant role in profitability. Producers need to determine their profit margins and decide what options or…

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Safety, design top priorities when designing cattle processing facilities

K-State experts say facilities should be safe for people and cattle MANHATTAN, Kan. — Many a rancher will say there is nothing that tests the bonds of a relationship more than processing cattle together. Between the quick movements of the calves and the short tempers of the humans it can be a trying experience for all. One way to help ease some of the potential for frustration is to make sure cattle are…

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K-State team eyes facial recognition technology for cattle

Smartphone app could boost biosecurity for the beef industry MANHATTAN, Kan. – If you’ve stared one cow in the face, you’ve seen them all … right? New technology being developed at Kansas State University is likely to debunk that thought, capitalizing on the power of artificial intelligence to build a database of facial recognition technology for the cattle industry. In other words, just like humans, each cow in the herd has a set…

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Time to prep for winter? You bet, says K-State climatologist

Focus on home and car before the weather turns cold MANHATTAN, Kan. -- It’s early October…do you know where your snow boots are? You may not really need them for a while, but assistant state climatologist Mary Knapp says now is about the right time to start preparing for winter. “A couple things you can do right now to get ready for winter is to look at preparations around your house and car,”…

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New Report Examines Cattle Market Issues & Solutions

A new report unveiled today by the American Farm Bureau Federation provides an in-depth examination of the causes and price implications resulting from extreme market volatility in the cattle industry. It also sets the stage to explore policy solutions.   The Cattle Market Working Group, comprised of 10 state farm Bureau presidents, spent more than two months investigating factors that led to market disruptions following the Holcomb packing plant fire and the COVID-19…

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Fall Gardening Made Easier

By Lauren Raley STILLWATER, Okla. – Now that fall has fallen, Oklahoma gardeners can turn to Oklahoma State University Extension for helpful tips on how to prepare for the end of the year. OSU Extension’s fall gardening fact sheet includes a wide range of vegetables that can outlast other summer crops, as well as how to prepare the soil for the next growing season. The foundation for a healthy garden is keeping crops properly watered and monitoring…

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Rural renewal topic of upcoming virtual symposium

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – Those interested in learning more about rural renewal should make plans to attend the virtual 2020 Rural Renewal Symposium. Slated Oct. 13, the virtual symposium will feature research presentations on the latest work in rural renewal and roundtable sessions for community leaders to discuss strategies that have worked in their own communities. This symposium will engage leaders and researchers in rural renewal from Oklahoma, the United States…

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Cattle Exports to Mexico Surge

David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Imports of feeder cattle from Mexico usually are reported with interest because ranchers and feeders in the U.S. import more than 1 million head per year, on average. The U.S. also exports cattle to Mexico, but in much smaller numbers. In recent weeks cattle exports have surged to the highest levels in several years. Weekly cattle exports to Mexico are reported…

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