Author Archives: greg.baker
Grow Food, Give Food
If you’re a gardener, you already know that nothing beats the taste and nutrition of fresh-picked vegetables. Growing your own garden can improve your health, save you money, increase the sustainability of your lifestyle, decrease your carbon footprint, and—perhaps most importantly—help a lot of people in need. That idea is what inspired Jeff Lowenfels, a garden writer from Anchorage, Alaska, to begin the Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) program in 1994. He asked local gardeners to grow food for an Anchorage soup kitchen by planting an… Read More →
The Value of Reproduction KRIRM faculty describe one method of evaluating the value of reproduction in the cow calf business.
By: Jason Sawyer, PhD, and Rick Machen, PhD; appearing in the Spring 2020 KRIRM Newsletter In cow-calf operations, reproductive rate is the foundational productive function of the enterprise. Obviously, if cows do not become pregnant, then no calves are produced for revenue generation the following year. Revenue from culled cows is not a result of production; it is the liquidation of an asset that must be replaced (usually at a higher price), if production is to continue. Pregnant cows must successfully produce a live calf, and live calves… Read More →
USDA APHIS Establishing Coordination Center to Assist Producers Affected by Meat Processing Plant Closures
APHIS established a National Incident Coordination Center (NICC) to provide direct support to producers whose animals cannot move to market as a result of processing plant closures due to COVID-19. For more information please visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2020/sa-04/meat-processing-coordination-center mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu
It’s only natural
Heading into the fifth month since COVID-19 was first reported, many of us have come face-to-face with a sobering realization: sometimes, nature is actively seeking to harm us. But it’s nothing personal. In fact, it’s only natural. Diseases are about as natural as they come. Bacteria and viruses evolve or mutate over time in order to s Bubonic plague, Spanish flu, measles, polio…there hasn’t been a time in history untouched by a devastating, widespread illness. But we live in the 21st Century. Faced with the first global pandemic… Read More →
USDA unveils plans for coronavirus funding
U.S. farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus could receive at least some aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the end of May. On April 17, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and President Donald Trump announced a $19 billion program made up of two parts. “First, there will be $16 billion in direct payments to our farmers and ranchers who have experienced unprecedented losses during this pandemic,” Perdue said. “For this portion of the program, our economists and USDA evaluated commodity specific losses occurring during… Read More →
Live webinar on COVID-19 economic relief programs – FREE for all Texas farmers
Given the extraordinary financial stresses affecting producers, many farmers are hoping that the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) new loan programs established in the CARES Act may help keep their businesses in operation. The implementation of these economic relief options has generated many questions that Texas Corn Producers (TCP) aims to help the state’s farmers answer. The webinar is at 11 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, April 22. Participants must pre-register for the online event. Click on the link below and scroll down for more information and to register. https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=d6fbaea4bf&u=ae8ba2f5b61fc5678e159ab8a&id=ab9cff9784… Read More →
Pesticide Applicator CEU’s, Training and Testing. (Important updates) COVID 19
Pesticide Applicator and Course Provider Update – COVID 19 Hello ! I hope all are doing well during this time of national pandemic. Agriculture as we know it is rolling along at good pace, at least here on a local level in Calhoun County. Those who are needing CEU’s or the actual Pesticide Applicator License, some of these procedures have changed for the time being. The following link is an update on renewal and ceu requirements during this time. Pesticide Applicator and Course Provider Update – COVID 19… Read More →
Prescribed burning beneficial to Texas Lands – Prescribed Burn School Offered
Prescribed burning is one way to fight wildfires with…well, fire. While controlled burning can rid forested areas of excess leaves and other highly flammable material, it’s also a way to improve rangeland, restore prairies and manage wildlife habitat. More Texans are taking note of the management practice. A recent Texas A&M Forest Service survey showed more than 400,000 acres were treated by prescribed burns in 2018, an increase of nearly 50,000 acres over the previous year. “Folks are starting to understand that prescribed fire is not just a… Read More →
Private Applicator Training for Pesticide Applicators
The Calhoun County office of the Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service will be offering a Private Applicator Training Course to assist those interested in obtaining a license. If interested, please stop by the Calhoun County Extension office to purchase your study materials at a cost of $40.00 (cash or check only). There is also a 10$ registration fee (cash or check only) the day of the training. For contact information and more information click on the link below. Private Applicator Training mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu
Drones and Wildfires
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), generally called drones, are gaining in popularity. Although drones are fun to fly, they can be deadly if flown near wildfires. Drones can interfere with wildland fire air traffic, such as air tankers, helicopters, and other firefighting aircraft that are necessary to suppress wildland fires. Aerial firefighting missions including aerial supervision, air tanker retardant drops, helicopter water drops, and smokejumper paracargo occur between ground level and 200 feet above ground level, which is the same altitude that many hobbyist drones fly. Hobbyist drones and… Read More →
