Valuing Standing Oat or Spring Triticale Cover Crops for Feed

– Mark Sulc, Extension Forage Agronomist, Dianne Shoemaker, Extension Field Specialist, Dairy, Bill Weiss, Extension Dairy Nutritionist, Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Ben Brown, Agriculture Risk Management Oats planted in late summer and originally intended as a cover crop are also high quality and valuable feed. Considering the current shortage of quality forages, and the abundance of cover crops that were planted in Ohio this summer, the question has been asked, “How do…

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Former Agriculture Secretaries Announce Support for USMCA

(Washington, D.C., September 19, 2019) – Today, all former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since President Reagan’s Administration announced support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a letter to Congressional leaders, former Secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack (Obama) underscored the importance of passing USMCA saying, “We need a strong and reliable trade deal…

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Water Wells Need to be Tested After Flood

After floods, well water needs to be tested for safety according to AgriLife Extension specialists. (AgriLife Extension Service photo) COLLEGE STATION — Private water well owners whose wells flooded during Tropical Depression Imelda should assume that their well water is contaminated until tested, said Diane Boellstorff, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service water resource specialist. “You should not use water from a flooded well for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing your teeth or…

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NCBA Announces Leadership Changes

DENVER (Sept. 18, 2019) - The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced two significant leadership changes today. The NCBA Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association confirmed Colin Woodall to serve as the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Woodall, who was named this morning after an exhaustive national search, managed NCBA’s efforts in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. Since joining NCBA in 2004, Woodall has been instrumental in ensuring the…

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Bumper Crop of Pasture Weeds Needs Action

SEDALIA, Mo. – Leonardo da Vinci might have been describing the last few growing seasons for pastures when he wrote, “Even the richest soil, if left uncultivated, will produce the rankest weeds.” University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Gene Schmitz says the Renaissance polymath’s words ring true. “The past one to two years have been hard on pasture stands,” Schmitz says. “Last summer’s drought followed by a wet winter and summer this year…

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Fall Forestry Field Day Showcases Working Forestry Management

See examples of working forestry management and learn how to implement the practices at the Fall Forestry Field Day on Wednesday, Oct. 9, near Manhattan, Kansas. MANHATTAN, Kan. – Share collective experiences and the latest research for the holistic management of Kansas woodlands and related natural resources at the 25th Annual Fall Forestry Field Day on Oct. 9 at the Geyer Forestry Research Center and Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 2. The event,…

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Texas A&M Student Develops Video Game for Working Cattle

Teaching animal science through interactive gaming CowSim helps educate those with little to no cattle experience understand the processes behind working cattle before stepping out into real-world scenarios. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Animal Science.) COLLEGE STATION — For students studying animal science, interactive gaming can now help introduce concepts of working with cattle, before they’ve even stepped foot in a pen or pasture.  Nicholas Free, animal science senior at Texas A&M…

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Around the Globe, Farmers Seek Healthy Animals, Environment

K-State’s DeRouchey sees common thread among world’s livestock producers MANHATTAN, Kan. – They came from around the world, nearly 300 strong, to talk about raising farm animals safely and protecting natural resources. And when the participants of the annual meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock left Kansas State University last week, there was a similar message they all shared. “What I was really intrigued by was the amount of people involved…

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USDA Modernizes Swine Slaughter Inspection for the First Time in Over 50 Years

WASHINGTON, September 17, 2019 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a final rule to modernize swine slaughter inspection and bring it into the 21st century. For the first time in more than five decades, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is modernizing inspection at market hog slaughter establishments with a goal of protecting public health while allowing for food safety innovations. “This regulatory change allows us to ensure…

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Geez, what a mess!

Dr. Les Anderson, Extension Beef Specialist, University of Kentucky Have you ever looked at your cow-calf operation and had the thought “Geez, what a mess?!” Even if we don’t want to admit it, often our lack of organization and planning sometimes really hinder our opportunity to succeed especially in our cattle operations. An example; it’s September. Have you pulled your bull? If a bull pen is not available, is your breeding season over?…

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