The carcass steer contest helps Angus juniors see a bigger picture of the beef industry One contest at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) reminds youth that, ultimately, they are in the business of producing beef. The carcass steer contest gives National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members a chance to see how their animals rank for carcass merit, and just what it takes to produce high quality beef. This year the NJAS was…
By Donald Stotts STILLWATER, Okla. – Agricultural producers could benefit from enrollment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands with improved pasture management and operations. Producers can apply through Aug. 20. This year, the USDA updated signup options to provide greater incentives and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two priority zones. The CRP Grasslands minimum rental rate is $15 per acre, which…
USDA is announcing it intends to make significant investments to expand processing capacity and increase competition in meat and poultry processing to make agricultural markets more accessible, fair, competitive, and resilient for American farmers and ranchers. This is one of several key steps that USDA will take to increase competition in agricultural markets, pursuant to President Biden’s Executive Order on promoting competition and as part of USDA efforts to build a more resilient…
By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – Asparagus, green beans, squash and okra are some favorites among vegetable growers. For many, those well-tended plants produce so much bounty, the family can’t eat it all before it spoils. One way to preserve that summer taste is to freeze the extra fresh vegetables. This isn’t just a matter of plucking the vegetables from the garden and tossing them in the freezer. Before freezing, many vegetables need…
First Friday speaker says more than 148,000 have joined the effort MANHATTAN, Kan. – Rick McNary thought he had a great idea when he started an online group to connect America’s consumers to Kansas farm and ranch families. One year and more than 148,500 members later, it appears he was right. McNary is the founder of Shop Kansas Farms, a Facebook group that is helping to direct consumers across the country to buy locally grown…
K-State experts share tips for adjusting cattle diets to depleting pastures MANHATTAN, Kan. — As summer advances and the grazing pastures begin to mature and dry up, beef producers may need to look at alternative plans for meeting the maintenance requirements of the herd, according to the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said that producers first need to calculate the…
By Gail Ellis STILLWATER, Okla. – The rainy spring season and hot, dry months of summer are ideal times for close inspection of cattle ponds, streams, creeks and spillways. Routine maintenance of these water sources can prevent costly repairs for landowners. Marley Beem, an Oklahoma State University Extension specialist in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, recommends monitoring pond dams and watersheds after spring overflow events to check for erosion. “If overflows are clogged with floating debris, consult with…
BIF Selects New Board, Officers | Beef Improvement Federation
The timing of the cutting has a direct correlation to the nutritional value of the hay. Cutting hay when the seed head first appears is best for nutritional value MANHATTAN, Kan. — For farming and ranching families, summertime often brings with it hay cutting. Knowing when to cut the hay is key for optimum nutrition, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “When grass…
USDA to Provide Pandemic Assistance to Livestock Producers for Animal Losses USDA release