3 years ago
Nominations for the farm dog of the year are open. Farmers are invited to submit nominations for the 2024 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, which comes with cash prizes and bragging rights. According to the Farm Bureau, This is the sixth year of the contest supported by Purina, which celebrates farm dogs and ...

3 years ago
The numbers are staggering. In 2022, the Kansas 4-H office reported a five-year average of 6,442 volunteers that have supported its youth programs, providing expert guidance on such projects as sewing, shooting sports, livestock, rocketry and nearly three dozen other pursuits. Sarah Maass, director of the Kansas 4-H program, cited a study reporting that volunteers donate an average ...

3 years ago
Food recalls happen almost daily for a variety of reasons, said Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee. Typically, we are not likely to hear about a recall in the news, unless it affects many people in multiple states or it affects us locally. “Meat and produce, such as leafy greens, are two food categories linked ...

3 years ago
A Kansas State University judging team that tests its skill on factors that impact the production of meat from livestock has rolled to its third consecutive national championship. The meat animal evaluation team was crowned champions at the 2023 Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest in Canyon, Texas, posting team-winning scores in six divisions. Brody Nemecek, a K-State ...

3 years ago
Farmer sentiment weakened ­in March as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 8 points to a reading of 117. Both of the barometer’s sub-indices declined 8 points in March, leaving the Current Conditions Index at 126 and the Future Expectations Index at 113. According to the Purdue News Service, the Ag Economy Barometer is calculated ...

3 years ago
Beginning in April the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing approximately $123 million in additional, automatic financial assistance for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk, as part of the $3.1 billion to help distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The announcement ...

3 years ago
When starting a family, first-time mothers tend to experience longer labors than those who’ve given birth before. In much the same way, heifers need to be managed differently than cows at calving time, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “Heifers have to be monitored more ...

3 years ago
Wheat farmers are, by nature, optimistic, but that optimism is starting to wane in southwest Kansas, where much of the wheat that was drilled last fall has yet to emerge. Only 19% of the Kansas wheat crop is currently rated in good to excellent condition, with another 52% rated poor to very poor, according to the ...

3 years ago
Kansas Farm Bureau is offering a regional ag tour early this summer. According to the organization, they are planning a trip to Montana and Idaho June 12-16. Travelers will experience seed potato production, cattle ranches, fruit orchards, wineries, and the forestry and lumber industry through the Big Sky and Gem State landscapes. Registration is $2,300 for double ...

3 years ago
A pair of factors created by drought through much of the Midwest is weighing on western Kansas cattle producers’ decisions on when to turn their herds out on grass this spring and summer. “When and how grass turnout occurs is a big decision this year as we are attempting to mitigate high prices for hay and ...

3 years ago
Perhaps the biggest pastime in spring is watching the weather. I could be just searching for a nice Saturday to visit a park or checking to see if I need to carry an umbrella to the office. For farmers and ranchers, however, spring weather is high stakes and full of questions. Will there be enough rain ...