Nov. 1 is the deadline for organic farmers and ranchers to apply to be reimbursed for up to 50% of organic certification costs through the Farm Service Agency’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program. According to the USDA, the program provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organi...
A national cattle identification system that was first developed at Kansas State University has received a big boost of support from one of the country's largest food companies. Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., is backing U.S. CattleTrace, a system that uses ear tags with ultrahigh frequency technologies to establish a national animal disease traceability system. ...
For Kansas farmers and ranchers interested in enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the deadline to submit initial paperwork has been set for Nov. 19. “These programs are a great opportunity for farmers looking to incorporate conservation in their operations,” said Kate Hansen, policy associate for the Center for Ru...
Most would agree that planning ahead is one of the best ways to meet a goal and that is true of the cow herd as well, say the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians Bob Larson and Brad White shared why fall is a great time to perform pregnancy checks on spring calving cows. “The earlier in the pregnancy, the eas...
A year off from the Farm Food Tour allowed the event to transform to a more immersive experience for its participants. Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) partnered with Kansas Soybean Commission to make this the seventh #FarmFoodTour. Six online influencers embarked Oct. 5 on a three-day tour across Kansas that this year included longer, individualized visits to learn from farmers. Participants split int...
A University of California-Davis professor who has spent nearly two decades studying the relationship between the livestock industry and air quality told a crowd of nearly 800 at Kansas State University Monday that agriculture can be a powerful part of the solution in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Frank Mitloehner’s nearly one-hour talk – which highlighted the university’s ...
Anyone who has ever lived in Kansas knows that the weather can change quickly, a fact that Chip Redmond thinks makes the Kansas Mesonet especially valuable in the state. Redmond, a meteorologist and manager of the Kansas Mesonet, said the program is working to continue spreading its multiple resources across Kansas for citizens. He noted that 75 Mesonet stations are collecting weather informati...
A Kansas State University agricultural economist is taking a step-back approach while carving out a new way of looking at the returns of precision agricultural technology. “As an economist, I (normally) look at things like profitability – dollars and cents – and whether the benefits outweigh the costs,” said Terry Griffin, a precision agriculture economist at K-State. “But sometimes e...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a higher loan limit will be available for borrowers seeking a guaranteed farm loan starting Oct. 1, 2021, from $1.776 million to $1.825 million. “Farm loans are critical for our customers’ annual operating and family living expenses, emergency needs, and cash flow,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “Raising the g...
The first cohort of Casten Fellows, a program honoring the life and legacy of Jill Casten-Downing, recently returned from a successful trip visiting the Baltics. Throughout the past two years, six Farm Bureau members in Kansas have participated in the 10-part program. In addition to the opportunity to learn about agriculture and culture in another country, participants learned about leadership ...
