2 years ago
Drought plaguing parts of Kansas created shorter wheat plants and thinner crop stands this year. In turn, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato advises growers to make adjustments at harvest time. “This year, the biggest cause for short wheat has been drought stress,” he said. “During springtime, the crop starts to go through a ...

2 years ago
Iowa's Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has authorized a disaster proclamation in response to a confirmed outbreak of bird flu in a commercial turkey flock. The proclamation, effective immediately, allows the state to utilize resources for rapid detection, containment, and disposal of the virus. On Sunday officials announced they detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in ...

2 years ago
Each generation in a long-time farming family adapts to the challenges and opportunities of their time. Growing up on his family’s operation south of Hays, Wyatt Grabbe watched his father, grandfather and uncle shift from conventional tillage to no-till, experiment with cover crops and biologics and take advantage of the latest varieties and technology. As ...

2 years ago
Farmworkers face some of the most intense exposures to the bird flu virus, but advocates say many of them would lack resources to fall back on if they became ill. So far, only two people in the United States have tested positive after being exposed to a wave of bird flu spreading among cows. Those people, ...

2 years ago
Recent rains in south-central Kansas have heightened awareness of a crop pest that many know best by its rhyming nickname. Pillbugs -- which many may know by the nickname, Roly Poly -- thrive in wet conditions and undisturbed soil, said Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth, noting that they are not an insect. “They’re crustaceans; they're ...

2 years ago
The CDC is confirming the third case of bird flu in a farmworker. It's the second human case in Michigan and the third in the U.S. since March. None of the three are associated with the others. The newest case is in a dairy farmworker who was exposed to infected cows. The farmworker had respiratory symptoms unlike ...

2 years ago
Over four-million-chickens will have to be killed due to a major outbreak of the bird flu in Iowa. The highly pathogenic disease was detected on a commercial egg farm in Iowa, making it the latest in a string of outbreaks affecting both birds and dairy cows. On Tuesday the Department of Agriculture announced the farm's ...

2 years ago
The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health will host regional meetings across the state this summer to discuss critical topics related to the livestock industry in Kansas. The agency encourages livestock owners, veterinarians, and county officials to attend to learn more about how animal disease response plans may affect them. Each workshop will include ...

2 years ago
The CDC is warning people not to kiss or snuggle their backyard poultry. The agency says 109 people across 29 states reported getting sick after contact with their ducks, chickens, and turkeys. The Salmonella germs can get into your mouth and make you sick.  It adds that if you must touch your animals, immediately wash your hands.

2 years ago
A second person in the U.S. has been diagnosed with bird flu. The individual is a Michigan farm worker who had regular exposure to infected livestock. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the person had mild symptoms and has recovered. Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said in a press release that ...

2 years ago
Driving around in the country and seeing the cows and calves out on pastures full of green grass in late spring is a welcomed sight to many. And this is the time of year to begin routine processing for one- to two-month-old calves, and to develop a marketing strategy according to the experts at the ...