What does it takes to be a ‘farmer’?

Before getting to today's topic, let's discuss the weather a bit. The area received beneficial rains of 1.5 inches or so. The rain couldn't have fallen any more perfectly and seasonable temperatures should get most wheat off to a good start. Unfortunately the forecast is slim on the chance of rain so temperatures need to stay cool and it would help if winds weren't too strong. But at least we stand a chance now.

EQIP provides opportunities to improve your irrigation system

Gregory C. Bauer Supervisory District Conservationist This year many irrigation systems have been pushed to maximum capacity due to the extreme drought conditions we are experiencing. Many of the irrigation systems were not able to adequately irrigate the crops, due to inefficiency of the irrigation system. Other irrigation systems weren't able to provide adequate water due to limited the well capacity. Some irrigators have exceeded their annual water allocation and have used some of next ...

Women in Ag program scheduled in Salina

Women involved in agriculture are invited to the fall 2011 Women in Ag educational session on Nov. 3, in Salina. Topic for the session will be Crops, Cows and Cash Flows - What Does It all Mean?

Knowing more than you think

There really isn't much to add to the winter wheat planting conversation except that maybe Friday and Saturday some beneficial rains actually fell. Instead of beating the same old drum, let's discuss something a little different. One of the hardest things to convince students majoring in some aspect of agriculture is that they know a lot more than they think. This is true for most of us. We learn from observing, making mistakes, doing our ...

KFB’s Young Farmers and Ranchers to engage NASCAR fans

MANHATTAN – The Young Farmers & Ranchers of Kansas Farm Bureau are taking advantage of a captive audience of NASCAR fans from throughout the Midwest this weekend to share the good word about family farming, ranching and rural living.

Corn Yields - 2011

Dr. Victor L. Martin Unlike the wheat crop where there were a few pleasant surprises, this year's corn crop has been pretty much as expected and maybe a little worse for some, even under irrigation. Let's take a little time to explore what happened. Dryland yields are pretty much what we expected, nonexistent. High temperatures, little to no rain, and wind combined with very little soil profile moisture resulting in the majority of the dryland ...

Youth from across Kansas show champion livestock, earn scholarships

Owners of the top animals received auction premiums at the 79th Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS), while other exhibitors were presented scholarships. The event, held Sept.23-26 in Wichita, featured 656 youth from 89 counties showing 1,234 head of livestock.

SBA Awards Kansas Commerce, Agriculture Departments $500,000 Grant for Trade Activities

The Kansas Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture have been awarded a grant of more than $505,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the State Trade and Export Promotion Grants Program (STEP). This award was announced today at Governor Brownback's Economic Summit on Animal Agriculture in Garden City.

Nourishing Nutrients: Agronomy research examines nitrogen use in winter wheat

Not all wheat varieties are created equal in terms of nitrogen use. Research from Kansas State University is examining the nature of those differences and how appropriate management can improve agricultural efficiency.

EQIP and WHIP applications accepted through November 15

Eric B. Banks, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announced that the application evaluation cutoff date will be, Tuesday, Nov. 15, for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

Wheat Planting Roulette

Dr. Victor L. Martin This column has avoided discussing the fall wheat planting dilemma as long as possible. Since wheat is now going in the ground and as you read this there is less than a week until October, the topic can't be put off any longer. First I need to confess that I am a lousy gambler and the only way I could make a small fortune in Vegas is to start with a ...

Ell-Bar Farm still at it

Vernon DeWerff was grateful for the help of second and third generation DeWerff dairymen, for it allowed him to continue exhibiting Holstein cattle at the Kansas State Fair. Known to be far and above the longest exhibitor of Holsteins at the state fair, if not the longest running exhibitor in Kansas, Vernon and his family enjoyed his 69th year of exhibiting livestock at the state fair in Hutchinson this past week. And a special day ...

State’s largest livestock show draws youth entries from 91 counties

Youth from across the state have entered 1,456 head of animals for the 79th annual Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS). A total of 713 4-H and FFA members from 91 counties will show 109 market steers, 318 breeding heifers, 323 market hogs, 273 market lambs, 52 purebred ewes, 168 commercial ewes and 213 meat goats. The competition will take place September 23-26 at the Kansas Pavilions in Wichita

A language all our own

The semester at Barton is now in full swing. Tests have been taken, assignments turned in, and progress is being made. A new class in the Agriculture curriculum, Concepts for Agriculture, is designed to expose our Ag students receiving an AAS instead of an AS degree to materials that they otherwise wouldn't receive. The materials and concepts range from Newton's Laws of Motion to chemistry and hydrology to mathematics, measurements and terminology for agriculture. While ...

Bushels and Butterflies

Well, at least the temperatures this past week have been a nice change. The whole issue of fall planted crops hasn't changed for most of the area so we can touch on other issues but there is one item regarding wheat this fall and moisture.

University team receives $9.6 million USDA grant to help develop solutions for beef cattle grazing s

Drought, flooding, extreme heat, subzero temperatures: All of these climatic events and more in Kansas can threaten the supply and affordability of the nation's beef supply. It's hard to do much about the weather, but a team of Kansas State University scientists will be trying to find solutions so cattlemen can better adapt to any future climate extremes in their grazing operations.

Wandering about wheat

Looking at wheat throughout the central region of Kansas during the first couple days of May, members of the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) labeled the crop in fairly average to slightly above average condition.

Barton County Farm Bureau awards scholarships

Trees need care through dry weather

The question that I seem to get most often right now is why are my trees dying? Most of the time, the answer is the drought. Even though we have had some moisture recently, we are still in a severe drought. Driving around the county, you will even see old, big Red Cedars dying in the tree rows. That is because we have had two summers that were extremely hot and dry which baked the ...

Divide remains in Congress over Farm Bill, food stamps

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it.

Kansas CRP meetings for landowners prior to signup hosted by PF

Pheasants Forever is hosting fifty-one informational meetings across Kansas for landowners and agricultural producers in advance of the USDA Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program general sign-up that runs May 20 through June 14. Led by Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists, landowners can learn how to increase their farm or ranch income while creating wildlife habitat in the process.

Even Animal Lovers Prefer No Rabbits in the Garden

This week, I found a column from K-State's Mary Lou Peter about the rabbits that are out and about. They may be cute hopping around in a field, but when they get into your garden, their cuteness wears a little thin.

MILC, SURE, and NAP will restart on May 8

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced today that farm payments, which had been temporarily suspended due to sequestration, are scheduled to resume today, May 8th. This includes payments for the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), the Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC).

Why Does It Matter?

This is finals week at Barton and many of the other colleges around the state. For instructors it's time to evaluate what students learned over the last semester. For students it's time for that one last push to maintain or raise their grades. While faculty see testing as a method to evaluate learning and adjust accordingly, students often see testing as a way to be tortured. Students focus on the grade while faculty focus on ...

Play safe on the farm

The dream of many young farm boys and girls is to ride on a tractor. For a youngster, the mammoth tractor epitomizes raw power, responsibility and coming of age.