Farm production expenditures climb slightly in 2010

WASHINGTON – After a brief reprieve in 2009, last year farm production expenditures resumed an upward trend. In 2010, U.S. farmers reported spending $289 billion to produce agricultural products, up from $287.4 billion in the prior year. The Farm Production Expenditures 2010 summary released on Aug. 2 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) provides national, regional and Crop and Livestock farm expenditures.

Our climate discussed

First a correction from last week regarding double-cropping called to my attention by a reader of the column.. I referred to fall planted wheat after corn or beans as double-cropping. A better description is continuous cropping. Double cropping would be soybeans or milo planted after wheat harvest. For the purpose of this column it's not a huge deal but if you're in government programs or need crop insurance, it's important. Generally, double-cropping isn't an "accepted" ...

Out of the mouth of babes

Ever have an 11-year-old farmer's daughter give you a tour of their farm? I did and it was top notch. Last week I traveled to Dickinson County to meet with Jeff and Charity Bathurst. The young farm/livestock family have six children ranging in ages from 11 to three weeks old – four girls and two boys. As I pulled up to the farmstead, Jeff and I shook hands and he told me he had to ...

More emergency CRP haying and grazing announced

MANHATTAN – Adrian J. Polansky, state executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Kansas announced this week that emergency haying of Conservation Reserve Program acreage has been approved for Elk, Ellsworth, Greenwood, Scott, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson counties; and CRP emergency grazing has been approved for Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Elk, Greely, Greenwood, Labette, Lyon, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Sedgwick, Sumner, Wilson and Woodson counties. "We are extremely concerned how the intensifying and expanding ...

Great Bend Chamber introduces new farm show promoter

On Thursday, July 28, the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development introduced Darren Dale to the Great Bend community for the second time. The first time Dale was publicly introduced was at the press conference in mid-July announcing his involvement in bringing the Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo to the community on an annual basis starting next April. This time, however, he was introduced to a select group of community ...

Our Climate – What Defines It?

Dr. Victor L. Martin Before we can discuss our climate, there are several concepts and terms that will help it all make a little more sense. These are items that you likely know even if you don't know you know them. The first one not only explains climate but most of what we observe and deal with every day. · Energy, energy potential, and gradients – this is a concept that is the key ...

Animal Health, Conservation and Ag Marketing join Kansas Department of Agriculture

The Kansas Department of Agriculture is making positive changes to better serve Kansas agriculture and consumers. The Department of agriculture now includes a Division of Animal Health, Division of Conservation and Ag Marketing program. These changes, which became effective July 1, are the result of Gov. Sam Brownback issuing an Executive Reorganization Order to move the State Conservation Commission, the Animal Health Department and the Agriculture Marketing Division of the Department of Commerce into the ...

Women in Ag Program announced for August 24 in Tonganoxie

Women in Ag will be the focus of a program to be held in Tonganoxie on Aug. 24 at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, Hwy 16 and Fairgrounds Road. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., meal served at 6 p.m., and the program starts at 6:45 p.m.

Conservation Planning . . . More Than Just a Good Idea?

It is common knowledge that planning to conserve natural resources is a good idea and the right thing to do. But did you know that conservation planning also makes good business sense? If you develop and implement a conservation plan you may receive priority status when and if you decide to apply for certain Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. Also, it is one of the best tools around to help you assess and ...

What goes around, comes around

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau The word oasis comes to mind when describing northwestern Kansas this summer. Although within a few weeks if the 100-degree plus temperatures continue, it may turn a bit drier. But for now, in mid-July, the cattle graze in pastures with lush, tall grass. Each field of corn, beans or milo resembles a living green tapestry woven by the Master's hand. Dryland corn looks just like its irrigated cousin. Both ...

Weather vs. Climate

Dr. Victor L. Martin While this column isn't really long enough for a great deal of information, with the summer the area is having it might be informative to address what the terms "weather" and "climate" really define and what these words mean to us as we swelter through this summer. First let's start with a few definitions so we are all on the same page and go from there. What isn't covered today can ...

July Thoughts

I have been accused of being a bit of a pessimist from time to time. From an early age, many teachers and professors drilled into my head to "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst." If you have read these columns over the last few months I tried to objectively lay out what options were available, depending on the weather. My prognosis was that this was going to be one of those ...

Scorched, scalded and burnt up

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau If you're a Kansas farmer you've probably jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. The fire in this case is the continuing scalding temperatures and lack of precipitation. Here's what I'm talking about. Ben McClure, Stevens County farms a few miles from the Oklahoma line and not far from the Colorado border. Here in far southwestern Kansas conditions are bone dry. McClure ...

Young Stockmen’s Academy tours Agribusiness and Retail Beef Industry

The 2011 KLA Young Stockmen's Academy (YSA) gathered for its second educational tour of the year June 27-29. The group of young KLA members from across the state spent three days in Kansas City learning more about the agribusiness and retail beef industries. Vista from Merck Animal Health is the exclusive sponsor of this program.

Safe food

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau The conversations are endless. Consumers want and some demand to know the origin, safety and nutrition contained in the food they eat or feed to their families. Little more than a decade ago, seemed like most people could give a hoot about their food. Heck, 20 years ago the only time the media paid any attention to food was to tell consumers when prices went up. ...

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.