Planting winter pastures this fall might not save livestock producers’ bacon but it could certainly help them save what hay they have if there’s another drought next summer, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

“Normally, people plant winter pastures to defray winter feeding costs,” said Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton. “But hay stocks are certainly not up to sufficient levels, and by reducing winter feeding they can certainly hang onto more of the stocks they have.”

When it comes to today’s agriculture, there are many examples of great farmers and ranchers all over the country doing wonderful things to bring food to the table for those around the world. But few of those farmers and ranchers are recognizable by consumers, mainstream media and influencers.

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) wants to change that. The organization is looking for the “Faces of Farming and Ranching” to help put a real face on agriculture and shine a light on the heart, personalities and values that are behind today’s food.

The dry summer has many corn producers concerned that their corn crop may not meet their production expectations, according to Tim Schnakenberg, an agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

“The corn crop is deteriorating rapidly in areas that have missed key rains and producers are looking at alternatives, especially for their later planted corn,” said Schnakenberg.

Chopping the crop for silage is one way to retain some value of the crop before it wilts down in the drought, even though the dry matter tonnage produced may be 10-50 percent lower in a drought compared to normal corn silage.

As of July 1, DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred became known as DuPont Pioneer. The company stated, "DuPont Pioneer is an important element in extending DuPont's efforts in the agricultural and food industries.

During the 2000s, organic milk production was one of the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the U.S., according to a USDA Economic Research Service publication "Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming." In 2008, about 3 percent of the nation's cows were managed organically. Among the conditions necessary for a cow to produce organic milk, she must eat only organic feed or browse on organic pasture for at least the previous 36 months. However, dairy producers have found that producing or sourcing organic feed – which must be grown without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides – is challenging.

The Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage website tells the stories of America’s farm and ranch families and how century farms (in operation by the same family for more than 100 years) have helped shaped our nation’s history. Century farm families can nominate their farms for a feature on the website. (Click here then go to “Submit your own profile.”)

The dry summer has many area corn producers disappointed and concerned that their corn crop may meet their production expectations according to Tim Schnakenberg, an agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

“The corn crop is deteriorating rapidly in areas that have missed key rains and producers are looking at alternatives, especially for their later planted corn,” said Schnakenberg.

Ohio growers may find that although alfalfa can weather the current extreme heat and drought conditions from a quality standpoint, there will be less alfalfa overall because of the lack of moisture the region continues to experience, an Ohio State University Extension educator said.

The transportation bill passed last week exempts farmers from an onerous Commercial Drivers License requirement. American Farm Bureau transportation specialist Andrew Walmsley said, “Those farmers and ranchers that are using a farm vehicle to haul their calves or their produce to market were exempt from some requirements that were meant for long-haul truckers, commercial truck drivers.