Every so often I have the opportunity to visit a classroom full of elementary students and read a book to them. More often than not, I’ve accomplished my guest reading visits using virtual platforms that so many are now accustomed to using. Thanks to technology, and a decent internet connection, I’ve been able to read to classrooms hours away from our farm. While the books I read vary depen...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing additional time for livestock and poultry producers to apply for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP). Producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing may now apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals through Oct. 12, 2021, rather than t...
A group of Kansas farmers have been honored for their efforts in conserving natural resources. The Kansas Farm Bureau Natural Resources Award program honors members using time-honored and cutting-edge conservation practices to protect and improve our state’s natural resources. KFB has announced the 2021 Natural Resources Award winners. State winners: 1st: Ray and Susan Flickner, McPherson...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has accepted offers for more than 2.5 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment through this year’s Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Signup. According to the agency, this is double last year’s enrollment and brings the total acres enrolled across all CRP signups in 2021 to more than 5.3 million acres, surpa...
Leasing land is important for landlords and tenants, but there are risks when it comes to leasing, said a Kansas State University graduate student who is conducting research on the topic. Agricultural economics student Chelsea Arnold said 3,600 Kansas landowners recently completed a survey to gauge what their leases look like, risk preferences and attitudes towards young producers. The avera...
In Kansas and other wheat-growing states, the tools of the trade include a planter, combine and a grain bin. But ask most farmers, and they’re also likely to have a reliable source for information on wheat diseases and insects that threaten their crop. Sometimes, that source is neatly tucked into a hip pocket or the truck’s glove box. For more than 30 years, Kansas State University has b...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment through the Con...
Applications are now being accepted for what organizers say is a refreshed and rebranded program with the purpose of providing a conduit for folks of all occupations and levels of agricultural knowledge to be exposed to the many facets of production ag, rural communities and ag policy. Kansas Farm Bureau's Ag Academy runs from October to September. According to the organization, focus areas are...
What has worked and what to see in the future, beef cattle outlook, starting newly arrived calves on feed, and the comparison of multiple castration methods in stocker cattle are among topics planned for the 2021 Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 30. The conference will be hosted at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit. “We believe this year’s program will be an exce...
Kansas State University and the Kansas Livestock Association have planned three field days to help cow-calf producers enhance their management strategies. KLA/K-State Ranch Management Field Days are set for Aug. 17 in Satanta, Aug. 19 in Sterling, and Aug. 24 in Eskridge. “This year’s KLA/K-State Ranch Management Field Days will have excellent educational sessions for our cow-calf produc...
