Capital Farm Credit and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be hosting a conference July 18 in Abilene designed to help the next generation of agricultural producers enter into the business or help current farmers and ranchers expand their operations.

Digi‐Star has released a new version of its feed management solution, TMR Tracker. Version 4.1 aims to improve dry matter intake (DMI) tracking, offer flexible workday definitions and enhance premix options.

With the first half of the year behind us, it is useful to take a look at what has happened and the prospects for the second half of 2013. Beef demand has been and remains a crucial question, perhaps even more so in the second half of the year. Currently, Choice boxed beef prices are roughly $127 per hundredweight, about one dollar above prices at this time last year.  

Eric Hibbard Area Sales Manager Clovis, New Mexico Alltech

Malcolm "Mac" F. Moore has been appointed president and CEO of Digi‐Star LLC, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of advanced measuring systems and software used in the precision agriculture sector.

Farmers can rid their property of unwanted vehicles while helping to generate money for a Missouri extension agency.

The U.S. corn industry experienced a significant "growth spurt" beginning in the 2007-08 marketing year that continued through the 2011-12 marketing year. That 5-year boom period was characterized by larger consumption, larger production, and higher prices; a combination that demonstrates the strong demand for U.S. corn beginning in 2007-08. The issue moving forward is whether or not demand for U.S. corn has peaked.

The National Milk Producers Federation says it applauds USDA's new school snack ruling, which will ensure dairy products will remain in schools for sometime to come.

Statistics show that more than two-thirds of the dairies in the Southeast have closed since 1995. Six universities are aiming to find out why, and to try to find a way to reverse the decline.

The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is funding the $3 million effort.