2 years ago
Concerns about a program which aids farmers and ranchers are being raised at the highest level. U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) led their colleagues in the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in raising concerns regarding the 2022 Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack. “The 2022 crop ...

2 years ago
Nearly 400 Farm Bureau members of Kansas this week wrapped up business for their farm organization during Kansas Farm Bureau’s 105th annual meeting. According to the organization, the policies adopted will now become the organization’s road map for the 2024 legislative session. Topics of discussion included economic development, agricultural credit and energy production and transmission. Pottawatomie County ...

2 years ago
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is awaiting confirmation on a presumptive positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock in Pottawatomie County. According to the agency, if confirmed, it would be the first case of HPAI in Kansas this fall. “If you have not yet taken steps to protect your backyard flocks, ...

2 years ago
Have you looked at the improved Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) policy lately? Farm Bureau policy supports the development and maintenance of “adequate risk management tools for livestock producers1, and judging by the numbers of animals insured withLRP, from its inception in 2003 through 2020, the LRP policy was arguably less than adequate. However, with the passing of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, several improvements ...

2 years ago
Alliance Ag & Grain is pleased to announce the launch of an apprenticeship program through Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) award-winning Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program (RKAP). “Alliance Ag & Grain is excited to partner with Kansas Farm Bureau in their Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program,” says Jeff Stockton, Alliance Ag & Grain vice president of business development. “For us, ...

2 years ago
Kansas State University is incorporating technology to help farmers grow better crops. For instance, one computer-based program compiles essential data from a field to help farmers make a decision on the best time to harvest a crop. “In many situations, allocating time resources on when to harvest is one of the critical aspects to make sure that ...

2 years ago
Kansas State University and Kansas Department of Agriculture economists are reporting findings of a study indicating that alleviating a shortage of farm labor in Kansas could boost the state’s economy by as much as $11.7 billion. “Accepting the status quo in the labor market is costly,” said agricultural economist Jenny Ifft, who is also K-State’s Flinchbaugh ...

2 years ago
If baking is a work of the heart, then Charlene Patton and Sharon Davis have been the heartbeat of the Home Baking Association (HBA) for more than two decades. The pair were honored for their work to bring baking into the homes of families during the HBA’s recent annual meeting in Sunriver, Oregon, where the ...

2 years ago
In the highly competitive world of collegiate crops judging, one university has flexed its muscle like no other: Kansas State University. The 2023 squad rolled to the national title in mid-November, winning the Kansas City American Royal Collegiate Crops Contest on Nov. 14 and the Chicago Collegiate Crops Contest on Nov. 18. K-State teams have now won ...

2 years ago
For the first time in 11 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which is historically the standard that gardeners and growers use to determine the perennial plants most likely to thrive at a location. The update, said Kansas State University nursery crop production and marketing specialist Cheryl Boyer, is ...

2 years ago
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting grant applications for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program. According to the organization, nearly $6.46 million was awarded to the agency through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service for this program. The purpose of the RFSI program is to build resilience in the ...