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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The drought in the Southwest may help 29-year-old Chad Bicker get to his goal of being a full-time farmer and rancher by the time he's 40.
In years when forages are in short supply, or winter-kill in alfalfa has been a problem, small grain/forage pea mixtures should be considered. For new alfalfa or mixed hay seedings, small grain/forage peas make a good companion crop, competing well with weeds and protecting vulnerable soils from erosion.
December corn futures rose nearly $1 per bushel during August from about $6.80 to $7.80 per bushel. In September, the market has reversed itself and the December corn futures price has now declined to $6.90 per bushel. Any bets on where the price of corn will be a month from now? What are the odds of $6.00, $7.00, or $8.00? I don't know the answer to that but I do know when I see a $6.65 put option is priced at $.25 per bushel and that a $7.15 call option is priced at $.27 per bushel, there is plenty of uncertainty in the market.
A strategic partnership between The AgChat Foundation (ACF) and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) brings together two organizations passionate about keeping today’s American agriculture successful. Through coordinated efforts, the groups will work together to support farmers and ranchers who are sharing their stories about how food is raised.
The AgChat Foundation is one of the first outside organizations to partner with USFRA, a coalition that represents more than 50 of the top farmer- and rancher-led organizations and industry partners from across the country. It wasn’t hard for leaders from USFRA and ACF to realize that their missions connected.
Despite the continued economic strain on dairy producers, Pacific Gold Milk Producers, Inc., one of California's newest milk producer cooperatives, is partnering with others in the dairy industry to raise awareness of local hunger with donations of dairy products to local charities and food banks.
World Ag Expo and E.M. Tharp, Inc. have teamed up for the sixth year to provide the "We Believe in Growing" scholarship, created to support agricultural education. High school seniors from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties are encouraged to apply by Jan. 20 to be considered. Two $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who attend a four-year university to major in an agricultural field. The scholarships will be disbursed over four years at $2,500 per year.
Fall signals the return of students back to school and the re-launch of the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s third annual College Aggies Online (CAO) agriculture advocacy scholarship program on Oct. 3. This competition helps undergraduate students with a passion for agriculture become confident advocates for the industry.
Last year, approximately 600 students representing more than 50 universities participated in the CAO. On the program’s private forum, students posted photos, responded to blogs and completed “aggie homework” in order to earn points for themselves and their collegiate clubs.
Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) applauds the Michigan dairy and livestock producers who have worked aggressively for several years to reverse the TB designation assigned to the state nearly two decades ago. The commitment of Michigan’s farmers to protect livestock from this disease has led to 57 counties designated as Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Free.
The excitement is building as hundreds of dairy cattle exhibitors from across North America prepare to bring more than 2,500 head of elite show cattle to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin the week of Oct. 4-8. A change in the slate of judges has been announced for the International Junior Holstein Show. Unfortunately, Norm Nabholz is unable to serve as official for that show as previously announced. He has experienced a chronic knee issue that will prevent him from judging. Larry Tande has generously agreed to step in to serve as official judge for that show.
Tande is no stranger to judging dairy cattle shows of this caliber. Tande has judged hundreds of dairy cattle shows including the U.S., Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Spain. Tande served as official judge for the Central National Brown Swiss Show at World Dairy Expo in 2006 and Central National Milking Shorthorn Show in 2002. He is scheduled to judge the Peru National Holstein Show later this fall.
The Badger Dairy Club's new text message ordering system should shorten the time World Dairy Expo visitors wait for a grilled cheese sandwich at lunchtime. For the first time, the club will accept an order of 15 or more sandwiches and schedule a time for the order's pickup via text message. These bulk orders can be collected at the back of the club's tent next to the Arena Building.
"This service is targeted at exhibitors who are at Expo for the long haul and know they are going to need a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches at one time," says Mackenzie Fochs, co-chair of the Badger Dairy Club's stand and a senior at the University of Wisconsin –Madison.
