What’s happening to agricultural land values? USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service released the 2013 land values report, indicating an average 5 percent increase in farm real estate and pasture value.

Almost 50 horse owners and professionals recently attended the fourth annual Horse Forage Field Day at the University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science Equine Research Pastures. Participants rotated through four stations, including rotational grazing, extending the grazing season, reducing hay waste and how to collect a hay sample.    

Dr. Craig Sheaffer, forage agronomist, gave participants tips on how to set up a rotational grazing system.

About 46,000 people flocked to Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, Pennsylvania, Aug. 13-15, for Ag Progress Days, one of the largest outdoor agricultural expos in the Northeast.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently involved Japanese baseball legend and Oklahoma Sen. Randy Bass in a campaign to promote U.S. beef in Japan.

Jenn Krultz Loyal Commodity Merchant Loyal, Wisconsin Vita Plus

Roto-Mix’s new VX Series of single auger vertical mixers is both efficient and durable, according to the company, with the aim of delivering high-quality TMR at an affordable price.

In March 2011, 73 farmers, seed companies and interest groups filed a lawsuit against Monsanto Co., hoping to prevent the biotech seed manufacturer from suing them if their fields became contaminated with the company’s patented genetic traits products. Now – after an appeals court nodded to the company in June – the same group is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to a recent Reuters article by Carey Gillam.

The Dairy Heat Stress Road Show (DHSRS) is planning another round of travel this fall and next spring. Its aim: bring new answers to the problem of heat stress in dairy cows.

The National Program for the Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle is a multi-year project funded by the USDA and involves numerous scientists, industry partners, breed associations, and cattle producers who are collecting feed intake, growth, and carcass composition data as well as DNA samples from over 8,000 animals encompassing eight beef breeds.