Archive By Section - Agriculture
Nine Lives and Winter Wheat
Wheat farmers in Kansas joke that wheat has nine lives and you don't produce a crop unless at least eight of them have been used up before harvest. While this may sound a bit like gallows humor, there is a lot of truth in this statement. The wheat crop here is exposed to the extremes of our weather for nine months while crops like corn, soybean, and sorghum for approximately four. One of the hazards ...
California agriculture is mind-blowing big
Huge and nearly impossible to comprehend are words that best describe the economic impact of California agriculture as viewed through the eyes of nine Kansas farm families who toured the state beginning on March 25.
Spring Is Finally Here
How do you really know spring has arrived? Beyond the obvious signs like wheat greening up, daffodils blooming and springing forward, the Great Bend area has its own particular way. Next week from April 10-12 at the Expo Center the second annual Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo takes place and promises to put an exclamation point on the start of the spring farming season. Farmers and ranchers love looking at new technology, state of ...
Soil sample column
When you are trying to grow a garden, the more information you have at the beginning of the growing season, the better potential your garden will produce well during the year. One piece of information that is easy to investigate is a soil test. A soil test is an inexpensive method to determine how healthy your soil is, and what you can do to improve it to help your plants be healthy also. A gardener ...
Loose Ends
First, here's wishing a very Happy Easter to everyone. Rather than go deeply into a topic when many of us are enjoying well-deserved family gathering, let's tie up a few loose ends.
Pasture and range evaluation and recovery planning workshops set for April
Cattlemen across much of Kansas are in a quandary. As grass managers, they are asking themselves how many cattle will their ranges and pastures support after twenty to thirty months of drought. What steps can be taken to protect the grazing resources while maintaining enough cattle numbers to be financially viable? Will we get enough runoff to fill the ponds?
It’s twister time again
If you've ever heard the stampeding sound of a tornado or been close enough to see fence posts, the side of a building or the steel of a grain bin twisting furiously as the dreaded black monster gobbles up the countryside, you'll remember it always.
Kansas Farm Bureau leaders take their message to the nation’s capital
More than 150 farmer and ranchers from across Kansas participated in Kansas Farm Bureau's County Presidents Trip to Washington, D.C., March 18-21.
The Drought Is Over – Right?
We all know the answer to the title of this article is no. However, the reaction of some media outside of Kansas and other drought stricken areas implied that at the very least the worst is over. While that isn't true, things are a bit better. Our area has moved from the worst rating, exceptional, to the second worst rating, extreme. This is true of much of central Kansas. Much of the eastern third of ...
Prescribed Burn Association informational meetings scheduled
Pheasants Forever and their regional partners are hosting four informational meetings for landowners to discuss the benefits of forming a local Prescribed Burn Association (PBA). Prescribed Burn Associations are landowner-led cooperatives that bring people together to assist each other with prescribed burns in rangeland and CRP. This allows individual landowners to overcome obstacles to safe burning, such as a lack of experience, equipment, or manpower. Safer burns mean reduced liability risks to landowners, less risk ...
USDA Announces General CRP Sign-up for 2013
When the 2008 Farm Bill was given a stay of execution in the "fiscal cliff" deal in January, those of us outside of the Beltway were given few details about how the extension would impact producers and conservation programs. Conservation Title programs were supposed to be back-though some would be receiving limited funding.
The Drought Is Over – Right?
We all know the answer to the title of this article is no. However, the reaction of some media outside of Kansas and other drought stricken areas implied that at the very least the worst is over. While that isn't true, things are a bit better. Our area has moved from the worst rating this week, exceptional, to the second worst rating, extreme. This is true of much of central Kansas. Much of the eastern ...
Are you ready?
Kansas farmers, ranchers and landowners the deadline to file a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan (SPCC) looms just around the corner. As of May 10, any farmer, rancher or landowner who has petroleum products of 1,320 gallons or more, in above-ground tanks 55 gallons or greater, must have a spill prevention and countermeasures plan in place as required by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Kansas NRCS renewing commitment
The Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is renewing its commitment to help Kansas farmers build healthy soils. Our vision is to improve soil quality and build healthy productive soils in order to sustain life, resources, and communities.
Kansas Wheat Commission seeks two farmers to fill at-large positions
Few wheat farmers are given an opportunity to shape the future of their industry by engaging in research, marketing and promotion efforts. The Kansas Wheat Commission, however, has an opportunity for wheat farmers to do just that.
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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