Category Archives: Uncategorized
African horse sickness on Texas A&M, industry radar
African horse sickness is not in the U.S., and it is important it stays that way. Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, various state and federal agencies and the U.S. horse industry are already monitoring the situation, ensuring surveillance and determining practices to prevent the deadly horse disease from crossing our borders. African horse sickness comes out of Africa and is common from Morocco down to the middle of the continent. But it has escaped the African continent several times, most recently into Thailand, where it is believed to have… Read More →
Uncertain, slightly volatile future ahead for Texas ag
The road ahead for Texas agriculture is paved with uncertainty amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but farmers and ranchers try to remain optimistic about the future. During a Texas Farm Bureau (TFB)-hosted webinar, The Road Ahead for Texas Agriculture, speakers addressed the impact of the global pandemic on Texas and American agriculture. Please click on the link below to watch this discussion. The Road Ahead for Texas Agriculture mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu
USDA issues first Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) approved more than $545 million in payments to farmers and ranchers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received more than 86,000 applications for the program…. Farmers and ranchers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at… Read More →
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 →
USDA outlines risk management program for hemp farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of two risk management programs that protect hemp farmers’ crops from natural disasters. A pilot hemp insurance program provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage protects against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting where no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. Farmers may apply now, and the deadline to sign up… Read More →
TAHC Establishes Bovine Viral Diarrhea Rule
Austin – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) adopted a rule to mitigate the risk of uninfected cattle being exposed to bovine viral diarrhea virus persistently infected (BVDV-PI) cattle. The rule was passed at the December commission meeting, and will go into effect February 2, 2020. The newly adopted rule defines which cattle are classified as BVDV-PI, and requires the seller of a BVDV-PI animal to disclose the status in writing to the buyer prior to or at the time of sale. The new rule also establishes a… Read More →
USMCA signed in U.S., awaits Canadian ratification
Calling it a colossal victory for U.S. farmers, President Donald Trump signed the implementation bill associated with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Wednesday, Jan. 29. “This agreement is a tremendous breakthrough for American agriculture,” Trump said. Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) President Russell Boening and a number of Texas lawmakers attended the signing in Washington, D.C. “USMCA represents a tremendous opportunity for Texas farmers and ranchers to increase sales to customers in two very important foreign markets and to take another important step toward the economic recovery of Texas… Read More →
Mandatory Auxin Training 2020
If you plan to apply Engenia, Extendimax, FeXapan, Tavium, and/or Enlistone/EnlistDuo in 2020, you must attend an auxin training. The Calhoun County AgriLife Extension Service will hold a 1hour training Date: Thursday, January 29, 2020 Time: 8:30 am Cost: $10 Location: Calhoun County Extension Office – Bauer Exhibit Building 186 Henry Barber Way Port Lavaca, TX 77979 For questions call 361-552-9747 mailto:greg.baker@ag.tamu.edu Auxin Training 1.29.2020
Conservation Planning Meeting – Calhoun County – NRCS
Your input is needed to help determine local resource priorities and criteria for USDA conservation activities and programs planning for the upcoming fiscal year. This meeting will take place on January 21, 2019 at 2:30 PM. Click the links below for more information. FY2020_LWG_flyer LWG Meeting Press Release
NCBA: A Decade in Review
As we near the end of another decade, many social media users have taken to looking back at the milestones and accomplishments they’ve experienced in their lives over the past ten years – getting married (or divorced), having children, or graduating from college, for example. It’s called the Decade Challenge, and it got us thinking about what American beef producers have accomplished in the past ten years. Looking back at the record, the progress we’ve made on the issue of international trade and market access has been nothing… Read More →
