3 years ago
Despite continued drought and delays in fieldwork and fertilizer delivery, Kansas producers are no strangers to dusting in the next year’s wheat crop — planting behind failed fall crops, capitalizing on the smallest increments of rainfall and keeping their faith in the seeds going into the ground. “There’s lots to worry about, and I haven’t figured ...

3 years ago
State agriculture officials are confirming a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Topeka. Accodsing to the Kansas Department of Agriculture has identified a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock in Shawnee County. This is the third confirmed case of HPAI in Kansas this fall; there were six cases in March ...

3 years ago
The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation has partnered with the Kansas Groundwater Management District 4 (GMD 4) to offer funds to assist landowners in that district with irrigation efficiency technology. According to the agency,  the GMD 4 Irrigation Technology Initiative is designed to promote irrigation efficiency by providing cost-share assistance to landowners who invest in ...

3 years ago
Moving is stressful — whether to a new school, job or town. In much the same way, a change of environment will cause beef cattle to be stressed, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “When cattle are stressed, the first thing they do is urinate and defecate, which ...

3 years ago
A Kansas State University postdoctoral student is conducting research to update the swine industry’s production standards, a project he said will aid producers in formulating pig diet formulation and safety. Jamil Faccin, a veterinarian and researcher in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, said it has been 10 years since the National Research Council published ...

3 years ago
In Kansas, the average age of an agricultural producer is 58.1 years old, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The same report indicates 66% of those who farm in the Sunflower State are more than 55 years old. What that means, says Ashlee Westerhold, is that “most of our farmers or ranchers could retire sometime in ...

3 years ago
Sarah Maass, whose professional career in 4-H and youth development spans nearly a quarter-century, has been named the state leader for the Kansas 4-H Youth Development program, effective Nov. 13. Since 2007, Maass has been the 4-H Youth Development agent in the Central Kansas District, covering Ottawa and Saline counties. She was the Lyon County 4-H Youth ...

3 years ago
The leader of one of America’s largest food and agriculture companies said Oct. 11 the country’s farmers should be celebrated for their crucial role in providing food security, even if their work is sometimes overlooked. Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc., was the featured guest for the Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems lecture series, held at ...

3 years ago
Persistent drought after harvest and delayed planting could indicate a lower risk of Wheat Streak Mosiac Virus this year. Still, experts caution producers to continue monitoring and managing volunteer wheat as they plant this fall. “Right now, we’re thinking that there is a slightly lower risk of wheat streak heading into fall planting. This is largely ...

3 years ago
Any good carpenter has a wide range of tools in the toolbox to get the job done, and in much the same way, cattle producers have a vast set of options to keep disease from coming onto the farm, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “One of ...

3 years ago
Researchers in a Kansas State University innovation lab that develops technologies to improve the resiliency of sorghum and millet production have received $750,000 to spur the crops’ production and value in Madagascar. Officials with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet (SMIL) said the project will take a look at every aspect ...