Archive By Section - Agriculture
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. ...
Summertime -Dr. Victor Martin
It's pretty hard not to notice that summer came hard and fast this year. After several years of what for Kansas were cool, wet summers, Mother Nature has reminded us of what our summers can involve. After a brief respite, we are back under drought conditions and as I write this on July 7, there is a slight chance of rain with 100° temps back by Sunday. So where are we cropwise as we enter July?
Dr. Vic Martin
So What Happened? Well wheat harvest in our area is pretty much over. Some are pleasantly surprised. Some are dealing with the low yields they expected. Many are scratching their heads trying to figure out how things were way, way, better than they expected. Pretty much it's a typical wheat harvest in Kansas. We think we understand why the bad or abandoned fields were the way the were but why were so many ...
Silent sentinels on the High Plains
By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau Perched atop the weathered wooden posts, the western boots stretched nearly one mile into the horizon. Brown, black, green, gray and blue were the colors. Torn and frayed was their condition. All the boot heels pointed toward the blue, spring sky. Some of the toes still held their shape – jutting out from the fence post. Others dropped toward the grass like the tongues of cutting ...
Funding Available
Non-Point Source Pollution Management funding is available for individuals who are suffering with a failed septic system, or needing to plug an abandoned water well. Sign-up will be until July 31.
“Do You Feel Lucky?”
One of the dangers of writing a weekly column for the Sunday paper is the chance that from the time it's submitted until you read it, things can change, especially when you are dealing with weather and farming. As I write this column, we avoided some very nasty weather in the area and really only had to deal with some very strong winds. Wheat harvest is proceeding rapidly with good test weights and adequate ...
Farmers are not truckers
By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau Just in case you've been busy cutting wheat, spraying weeds, hauling feed or water to your hungry cattle or selling some of your livestock at the sale barn and you haven't had a spare moment to hear the news – the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released a 30-day request for public comment on a series of transportation issues directly related to production agriculture. <p ...
USDA designates 25 counties in Kansas as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 25 counties in Kansas as primary natural disaster areas due to losses of wheat and forage crops caused by drought, excessive heat and high winds that occurred from Jan. 1, 2011, and continuing. Those counties are:
USDA announces new recreational, fishing and hunting opportunities in rural areas
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced developments in two popular USDA programs that will support conservation of working lands for the benefit of wildlife, water quality, and recreation. The Secretary announced that USDA will accept 2.8 million acres offered by landowners under the 41st Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up. The selections preserve and enhance environmentally sensitive lands while providing payments to property owners. Additionally, USDA has approved eight additional states and one tribal government ...
Dr. Victor Martin Column
Unless the weather decides to turn wet and cold, wheat harvest should be in full swing when you read this. As expected, yields have been all over the place so far in our fair state, ranging from a few bushels to 40 bushels or more per acre. Several fields in Stafford County were in the 50 bushel range. So far test weights have been over 60 pounds per bushel and protein levels over 12%. So ...
Happy as a clam
By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau As a consumer who enjoys eating a wide variety of fine food, I always relish the opportunity to learn more about where it comes from, how it's grown and the men and women who provide such feasts for our dinner plates. I enjoyed just such an experience last week when I traveled to the Virginia coast and spent four days eating every clam, oyster, blue crab, shrimp and some ...
Oregon meets Kansas
Hello Barton County! My name is Rena Berrett and I am the 2011 summer intern at the Barton County Office of K-State Research and Extension. This fall I will be a senior in Agricultural Business Management at Oregon State University. I just finished a year long exchange for the 2010-2011 school year where I studied at Kansas State University through the National Student Exchange Program.
A field feast
By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau Mary Mertz raised her hands to her face as she watched the party of 57 sit down at the long row of tables covered with white tablecloths set perfectly with china and glasses in the middle of her family's corn field. A broad smile spread across her face. "It's a dream come true," she said. "It's what I always envisioned. Happy people in our corn field sitting down to ...
County Committee nominations being accepted
Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers may begin nominating eligible candidates to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees, announced Adrian Polansky, State Executive Director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas.
Dr. Victor Martin
The past week was an interesting one for me and for many of us in the technical division at Barton. We were involved in the annual Breaking Traditions two-day event that exposed high school age young women and men to careers that they may not have considered as part of their future. Careers ranged from working on gas pipelines to criminal justice, automotive technician and agriculture. Even in today's world we all tend to assign ...
Articles by Section - Agriculture
Farm Service Agency County Committee nomination period begins June 17
Kansas Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Adrian J. Polansky announced today that the nomination period for local FSA county committees begins on Monday, June 17th.
Problems with tomato plants
It's that time of year again when everything is growing, and people are looking forward to be rewarded for all of their hard work in the garden. With the unseasonal low temperatures this year, your garden might be a little behind normal, but with our recent rains, the weather warming up, and a little bit of care right now, your garden should be getting into the full swing of things.
Lessons from the land
For Kansans June, July and August are months when some of us return to our roots and visit family in rural communities across the state. Some go back to help with wheat harvest, others go home to spend time visiting with friends they have grown up with. For all it's a time to reflect and remember.
Fathers’ Day and Agriculture
First here's wishing all the dads out there a Happy Fathers' Day. Since the wheat is rapidly ripening and harvest will soon be here, especially after the past week's heat, let's focus on something a bit more upbeat fathers, children, and agriculture.
Quarter-scale tractors, full-scale success: University teams win international competition
Kansas State University's quarter-scale tractor design teams are the winners of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' 16th annual International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition, May 30-June 2, in Peoria, Ill.
Conservation Stewardship Program applications due by June 14
The Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will provide about $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres enrollment this year.
Not so fast
Pre-packaged, vacuum-packed, just add water…
Caring for container plants
Sometimes, when you are taking care of your container plants, you might see a white or yellowish build up around the edges of the pot, or even on the soil itself. Many people wonder what this is, and want to either repot the plant entirely, or sadly, think that there is something wrong with the plant and just stop trying. The cause of this build up is actually very easy to explain, and easy to remove to be able to keep your plants healthy and looking great.
So You Want A Career in Agriculture
Everyone is waiting to see what the wheat crop will hold. Summer crops are pretty well planted until double-cropping. The area has been receiving fairly significant rain and overall temperatures, while a little cool for corn and sorghum, are great for wheat grain development. Let's take the opportunity to shift gears from crops to our most important agricultural resource – people. Specifically, let's take a look at the people out in the fields and feedlots ...
Patent issued for beneficial animal ‘candy’
A U.S. patent has been granted to a Kansas State University-developed "candy" that stimulates the growth, health and reproductive functions of cattle, bulls and other livestock.
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