Sat.Mar 23, 2024 - Fri.Mar 29, 2024

article thumbnail

Farming Forward: Using SWAT maps to inform nitrogen management decisions

Real Agriculture

Soil tests are one tool for determining fertilizer needs of a particular field, but several other factors impact the overall productivity of any soil zone, regardless of nutrient level. Factors, such as physical make up of the soil, salinity, internal drainage, field position, and organic matter levels, all play a role in determining the high-yield.

article thumbnail

The federal vision for chronic disease prevention: individual behavior, not the environment

Food Politics

At the insistence of Jerry Mande , I watched the meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to learn about the Federal Vision for Advancing Nutrition Science in the United States. This Vision derives from last year’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and its pillar on enhancing nutrition research.

Food 316
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Nibbles: VACS, FAO forgotten foods, African roots, Hopi corn, Adivasis rice, Sustainable farming, Llama history, Vicuña sweaters, Portuguese cattle, Mexico genebank, NZ genebank, Bat pollination, Eat This Newsletter, WEF

Agricultural Biodiversity

More on the US push for opportunity crops. Oh look there’s a whole compendium on African opportunity crops from FAO. Many of them are roots and tubers. For the Hopi, maize is an opportunity crop. For the Adivasis, it’s rice. And more along the same lines from Odisha. Llamas were an opportunity for lots of people down the ages. …and still are , for some.

Cattle 194
article thumbnail

BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain

AgWeb Farm Journal

BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain apiuser Mon, 03/25/2024 - 13:45

Cattle 145
article thumbnail

Corn School: Think ‘firming force’ not downforce at planting

Real Agriculture

What’s a planter supposed to do when it rolls into fields and tucks into a fit seedbeed? On this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, Kearney Planters operations manager Cullen Tinline shares a corn planter furrow management wish list and what growers should expect if their planter is fine-tuned, properly prepped, and rolling in good soil. Read More What’s a planter supposed to do when it rolls into fields and tucks into a fit seedbeed?

article thumbnail

A rare gem: an industry-funded study with a negative result, and for blueberries yet!

Food Politics

I’ve posted several studies sponsored by the blueberry industry , most recently on their effects on menopausal symptoms. Blueberry trade associations, as I discuss in my book Unsavory Truth: How the Food Industry Skews the Science of What We Eat, led the way in promoting research suggesting this fruit is a “superfood.” If only. They are still at it, apparently, but sponsorship does not always guarantee the desired outcome.

article thumbnail

What IS wrong with biofortification?

Agricultural Biodiversity

Well, it all started with a paper with more or less that title from Maarten van Ginkel & Jeremy Cherfas last year. Their answer was that biofortification doesn’t work, costs yield and risks genetic uniformity. Ouch. So what to do? Diversify diets, of course. That was followed by a rebuttal from Prasanna Boddupalli, Jill Cairns and Natalia Palacios-Rojas of CIMMYT.

Yield 174

More Trending

article thumbnail

Avian influenza found in cattle on U.S. dairy farms in Kansas and Texas

Real Agriculture

A mysterious illness affecting older dairy cows in the southern U.S. appears to be caused by the same virus that has infected millions of domestic and wild birds over the past few years. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said milk samples from sick animals on two dairy farms in Kansas and one in.

Cattle 317
article thumbnail

The Weight of Ozempic: Today’s panel discussion

Food Politics

Today I’m participating on a panel discussion on Ozempic at 12:30 EDT. See announcement to the right; register for it here. I watched the Oprah special on the obesity drugs. Its messages: Obesity is a disease, requiring treatment. These drugs offer treatment. The drugs are effective; side effects are minimal. Yes they are expensive and therefore, promote inequality; therefore, the government should pay for them.

Food 212
article thumbnail

Brainfood: Wild melon dispersal, Fertile Crescent domestications, Angiosperm threats, Wild rice alliance, Wild potato leaves, Brassica oleracea pangenome, Wild Vigna nutrients

Agricultural Biodiversity

Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert. Jackals pee on wild melon relatives and disperse their seeds, not necessarily in that order. Out of the Shadows: Reestablishing the Eastern Fertile Crescent as a Center of Agricultural Origins: Part 1. Go East, young archaeobotanists!

article thumbnail

Chemical Capture: The Power and Impact of the Pesticide Industry

Civil Eats

From Washington to Pennsylvania, farmers diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease have filed lawsuits against the maker of a popular herbicide, based on research that shows a potential link between the chemical and the disease. In California, researchers have connected insecticide exposure that farmworkers’ children experienced in the womb to a higher risk of behavioral problems into adolescence.

Pesticide 143
article thumbnail

What tech is the next hottest thing for agriculture?

Real Agriculture

Last year at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, investors and inventors were all a-buzz about biologicals. This year, the spending mood at the conference was more subdued overall, with the focus shifted away from biological products and on to measuring carbon emissions. Jay Whetter, editor of Canola Digest and unofficial San Fransisco tour guide, attended.

article thumbnail

Echándole Ganas: Giving it My All to Honor Legacy and Elevate Voices

USDA Blog

With the end of Women’s History Month coinciding with César Chávez Day, I’ve been reflecting on my personal and professional experience and the journey that has taken me to my current role as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the Equity Commission. It is also extremely fitting that this year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

article thumbnail

Baltimore port is an ag equipment hub

Western FarmPress

Closure of port in Maryland due to bridge collapse could impact farm machinery exports and imports.

Farming 138
article thumbnail

Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go? The Two Biggest Questions from USDA's Big Prospective Plantings Report

AgWeb Farm Journal

Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go?

Acre 135
article thumbnail

Port of Baltimore plays key role in grain, ag equipment trade

Real Agriculture

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 26th, the cargo vessel Dali collided with a support post of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Baltimore, Maryland, causing the bridge to collapse. Reports are that the Singapore-owned ship reported a power loss and inability to steer the ship before the collision. While the rescue and recovery. Read More In the early hours of Tuesday, March 26th, the cargo vessel Dali collided with a support post of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Baltimore, Maryland, causing t

Grain 299
article thumbnail

Farmworkers are Vital to a Resilient Food System

USDA Blog

Farmworkers make up less than one percent of all U.S. wage and salary workers, but they are vital to the country’s agriculture. They labor every day in fruit orchards and dairy farms, in blazing heat and freezing cold, to ensure that families have food on their tables.

Food 140
article thumbnail

How our paranoia about contamination is threatening local food

Sustainable Food Trust

Patrick Holden discusses how the centralisation of the food system has given rise to an atmosphere of paranoia about bacteria, which, in turn, is placing a disproportionate regulatory burden upon small producers and processors. More and more of us are now recognising that the ultra-processed products of the industrialised food system, which most of us eat to some degree, are making people sick.

Food 135
article thumbnail

USDA Shocks the Markets with 90 Million Corn Acre Estimate: Where do Corn and Soybean Prices Go From Here?

AgWeb Farm Journal

USDA Shocks the Markets with 90 Million Corn Acre Estimate: Where do Corn and Soybean Prices Go From Here?

Acre 133
article thumbnail

Steyr hybrid CVT prototype puts 260 horsepower into the ground

Real Agriculture

There’s no timetable for its arrival, but when it does hit farm fields Steyr expects its hybrid CVT to pack a powerful punch. In this report from Agritechnica, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin and CNH Industrial business manager Marco Otten discuss how Steyr plans to place significant power, speed and manoeuvrability at the tractor operator’s command.

Tractor 299
article thumbnail

Drive and Ambition Fuels this USDA 1890 Scholar

USDA Blog

Kaitlyn Hampton is ambitious and goal oriented. As she embarked on her journey as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1890 National Scholar , she simultaneously assumed other responsibilities, such as pursuing her master’s degree. The 1890 Scholars Program complemented her goals, allowing her to pursue her passions through internships and job placements that provided experience.

article thumbnail

Meet the Arizona Nonprofit Working to Transform Urban Food Deserts

Modern Farmer

Across the Phoenix metro area, citrus trees sag under the weight of more produce than homeowners can harvest and use. Thousands of pounds of fruit go to waste every year while more than half a million area residents struggle with food insecurity. What if these food-insecure households— more than 13 percent of the county’s population —could access the abundant provision literally dropping from trees in their neighbors’ backyards?

Food 132
article thumbnail

HPAI detected in Idaho dairy cattle

Western FarmPress

Find follows diagnoses in New Mexico, Texas and Kansas.

Cattle 131
article thumbnail

Vaderstad disc harrow delivers high-speed tillage

Real Agriculture

Farmers looking for high-speed, aggressive tillage may want to take a look at the Vaderstad Carrier XL disc harrow. In this report from Agritechnica, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin and Vaderstad’s Bernt Martensson check out the Carrier XL 725 on the trade show floor at the agriculture innovation showcase held in Hanover, Germany. “We would normally go.

article thumbnail

USDA Scientist Receives Award for Groundbreaking Work to Reconnect Crop and Animal Systems

USDA Blog

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist Sheri Spiegal received an exciting award recognizing her pioneering work integrating social science and biophysical science with stakeholder engagement to help animal producers and crop farmers improve the redistribution of manure nutrients from farms with an excess to fields and pastures that can use it sustainably.

Crop 132
article thumbnail

The Untold Farmer Stories Of Ukraine: Q&A With Howard Buffett

AgWeb Farm Journal

Farmer and philanthropist Howard Buffett held a fireside chat during the 2024 Top Producer Summit to share his experiences visiting the front line of Ukraine over the past two years.

127
127
article thumbnail

Behind the scenes at Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory

Western FarmPress

The tractor test laboratory on East Campus at UNL was the first of its kind and is still considered the gold standard testing facility for the world.

Tractor 130
article thumbnail

Farm Safety Roundup, Ep. 6: Safety is our heritage

Real Agriculture

As Canadian Agricultural Safety Week concludes, the conversation around farm safety continues to be paramount. In this episode of the Farm Safety Roundup, hosted by Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture, Ryan Dick of Workplace Safety and Prevention Services sheds light on the crucial role of safety in agriculture. With a dual perspective as both a Health. Read More As Canadian Agricultural Safety Week concludes, the conversation around farm safety continues to be paramount.

Farming 290
article thumbnail

Pioneering the Future of Food: Student Innovators Lead the Way in National STEM Challenge

Food Tank

The National STEM Challenge , presented by EXPLR , is featuring students for their innovative projects focused on bolstering food security, advocating for sustainable agriculture, and advancing agricultural technology. In April, 2024 students recognized through the Challenge will travel to Washington, D.C. to present their work at the National STEM Festival.

Food 126
article thumbnail

SoyFoam: Fire Fighters Demo First Soybased Fire Suppressant

AgWeb Farm Journal

Fire fighters from across the U.S. participated in a fire demonstration at the Dalton, Georgia fire department looking at the effectiveness of Soyfoam, the first soy based fire suppressant.

125
125
article thumbnail

Corn prices resurrected on low 2024 acreage estimate

Western FarmPress

Prospective Plantings: USDA predicts higher old crop usage, lower new crop acreage to breathe fresh life into corn markets.

Crop 126
article thumbnail

Alberta’s Field Crop Development Centre leaving Olds College; being re-branded as WCI

Real Agriculture

The Field Crop Development Centre, established in the late ’70s, has a new home and a new name — Western Crop Innovations. The rebranded non-profit organization, with funding from the Alberta government, will be focused on agriculture research and crop development. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation says the new structure will “revitalize this organization, promote a.

Crop 287
article thumbnail

Ranchers Embrace Virtual Fencing for Greener Pastures 

Modern Farmer

Today, more than 620,000 miles of fence branch across the western United States. That’s equal to a trip to the moon and back—and halfway there again. Maintaining and building fences is a yearly job on every ranch, costing at least $20,000 per mile. Once these fence posts are hammered into the ground, ranchers battle trees, wind and damage from livestock knocking them over.

Pasture 124
article thumbnail

Impacting Texans’ lives as a neurosurgeon, legislator and medical volunteer

AgriLife Today

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences former student Rep. Greg Bonnen ’88, M.D., awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award When State Rep. James “Greg” Bonnen ’88, M.D., arrived to deliver a guest lecture at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics on Feb. 22, it was a customary occasion. Read More → The post Impacting Texans’ lives as a neurosurgeon, legislator and medical volunteer appeared first on AgriLife Today.

Science 124
article thumbnail

Ag tech businesses bet big on artificial intelligence

Western FarmPress

Generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that can create new concepts and learn on its own, stands to fundamentally change farming.

Farming 126
article thumbnail

Valtra S Series tractors feature SmartTurn technology

Real Agriculture

It wasn’t the biggest new tractor roll-out at Agritechnica, but the Valtra S Series certainly attracted its fair share of attention thanks to a unique combination of size and technology. The Valtra S Series is a sixth generation tractor from the Finnish manufacturer, which operates plants in Finland and Brazil. Models range from 280 to. Read More It wasn’t the biggest new tractor roll-out at Agritechnica, but the Valtra S Series certainly attracted its fair share of attention thanks

Tractor 279
article thumbnail

Sign on to support farmland equity & local food!

Caff

By signing on to this letter, you’ll be urging state leaders to address land equity and improve access to local markets for small-family farmers. The realities of the climate crisis, divestment in local food supply chains, and inequalities in the economy disproportionately affect California’s smaller-scale food producers, which includes the 1 in 5 California farmers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Farmland 122