Angus tour makes stops at diverse operations in the Kansas City area In the center of America’s heartland lies Kansas City, a metropolitan area that boasts a rich agricultural history. Kansas City’s roots can be traced to the establishment of the Kansas City Stockyards in 1871 and the American Royal Stock Show in 1899. Most know that tradition and agriculture have long been linked. In the modern era, livestock families have adopted new…
Rain will often cause high nutrient losses in bales stored outside MANHATTAN, Kan. — It is hay cutting time in Kansas, and once all the grass is baled it must be stored for future use. Oftentimes that is outdoors, and many producers may not fully realize the nutrient loss that comes with weathering of large round hay bales stored outside, particularly in regions of the country with high rainfall. “Thirty percent of the…
Brenda Boetel, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Economic growth projections for the US and the world have been revised downward due to the impacts of COVID-19, with many global growth projections having contractions of nearly 3%. The US is expected to have one of the largest individual country contraction rates and is expected to contract nearly 5.7%. What does this mean for the beef market? Beef is a perishable…
Funding Includes Nearly $386 Million for Smart Grid Improvements (Washington, D.C., June 22, 2020) – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $1.6 billion to build or improve rural electric infrastructure in 21 states (PDF, 165 KB). “Reliable and modern 21st century infrastructure, including electric infrastructure and smart grid technologies, is a cornerstone for prosperity in rural America,” Secretary Perdue said. “Under the leadership of…
Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cows that calve on time are the number one indicator that cattle within that operation fit the managerial program. This happens simply from timely reproduction. Reproductive performance of an operation is important to the overall success and bottom line of that operation. Benchmarking may be beneficial as it can help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business. This year may…
Heather Gessner SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist April 2018 and 2019 blizzards caused stress to the region’s cowherds, and for some herds changed the calving distribution. 2020 brings a chance to re-establish a preferred calving distribution. Calving distribution can have an economic effect on the income received for calves in the fall, as well as a long term effect for the herd. Cattle producers have options to bunch the herd back…
Dr. Les Anderson, Extension Beef Specialist, University of Kentucky Maintaining a controlled breeding and calving season can be one of the most important management tools for cow-calf producers. A uniform, heavier, and more valuable calf crop is one key reason for keeping the breeding season short. Plus, more efficient cow supplementation and cow herd health programs are products of a short breeding season. However, converting from a year-long breeding season to a shortened…
Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension AgNR Educator, Crawford County (originally published in The Ohio Farmer) Wheat provides many additional opportunities for your operation. These options include drainage improvements, weed-control timing, double-crop soybeans, double-crop forages, compaction mitigation, and soil building through cover crops. From the time wheat is harvested, there is about nine months for weeds to grow and soil to erode. If double-crop soybeans are not planted, the use of cover crops will protect…
Event marks re-opening of Hal Ross Flour Mill MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University officials handed out 15,000 pounds of flour on Thursday during a drive-through event held at the recently re-opened Hal Ross Flour Mill, north of campus. Gordon Smith, head of the Department of Grain Science and Industry, said the event was held to help people who may be struggling to obtain basic food supplies. Shortly after the event began, a…
K-State beef cattle experts offer advice for grazing legumes MANHATTAN, Kan. – If you’ve ever heard the saying, ‘Your eyes were bigger than your stomach,’ you probably know it usually refers to an overindulgence on food, ending up with a bellyache. Like humans, cattle can unknowingly overeat such grasses as alfalfa and clover and may end up with a serious condition impacting their digestive system — legume bloat. On a recent podcast from…