By Jessica Domel Multimedia Reporter A wet start to the year and then a lack of rain for much of the state has led to lower production for most Texas crops, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The October Crop Production Report outlines production declines in cotton, corn, sorghum, [...]
The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to invest in rural America with more than $4.8 billion in payments being made, starting this month, to farmers and ranchers through the Farm Service Agency’s Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Conservation Reserve (CRP) programs. About $3 billion in payments will be made [...]
By Julie Tomascik Editor College students pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education now have an additional scholarship opportunity available through Texas Farm Bureau. The state’s largest farm and ranch organization has created the Student Teaching Award, which will provide scholarships valued at $2,500 to four senior Agricultural Education students during the spring semester of off-campus [...]
By Gary Joiner TFB Radio Network Manager Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) staff in Waco are once again providing feedback for Texas FFA chapters’ Ag Issues Forum presentations. Staff listen and evaluate the chapters as they present information on a current agricultural issue. Several FFA chapters have traveled to the TFB headquarters office to make their [...]
By Jessica Domel Multimedia Reporter Bayer AG will likely get the chance to defend popular weedkiller glyphosate in court. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, Judge Suzanne Bolanos issued a tentative ruling granting Bayer’s request, on behalf of its asset Monsanto, a new trial on the $250 million in punitive damages awarded to a school groundskeeper who [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist Life in agriculture can be tough. Prices. Trade. Weather. The list goes on. But for third-generation farmer Carey Orsak, the hard times are just part of farming. While it may be cliché, Orsak knows farming is in his blood. Even as a little boy on his grandpa’s farm, he was [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist Hunters will likely see lower wildlife numbers this season due to summer drought conditions, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Deer, quail and turkey populations are likely lower than previous years due in part to fewer forbs and decreased nutritional value in available food choices, Dr. John [...]
By Jessica Domel Multimedia Reporter The sight of smoke and flames strikes fear in most Texans’ hearts. But fire, if used correctly, can be a valuable tool that curbs invasive species and restores native grasses. Prescribed burns can aid in habitat restoration, rangeland restoration and wildfire mitigation, according to Dr. Morgan Treadwell, Texas A&M AgriLife [...]
By Justin Walker Communications Specialist Projected winter moisture could increase wheat acreage this season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. A statewide bump is anticipated, Dr. Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed specialist, said. Wheat acres in Texas have hovered around 4.5 million, which Neely described as exceptionally low. But recent [...]
By Julie Tomascik Editor Farm visits help consumers connect the dots in agriculture. But are there ways for landowners to help protect themselves from liability if a visitor has an accident on their property? The Agritourism Act, which was passed in 2015, offers limited liability to landowners who open their agricultural land for recreational or [...]