MANHATTAN, Kan. —The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program is sponsoring the inaugural Cheers Kansas event starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the Wamego City Park. The Cheers Kansas wine festival is an afternoon of sampling Kansas wines, enjoying a taste of local Kansas foods, and listening to live music. This event offers the public an opportunity to meet Kansas wine and food producers: Oz Winery, Liquid Art Winery & Estate, Red Rock Hill Vineyards, Z&M Tw ..read more

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Loeffel Meat Shoppe at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be hosting a grand re-opening celebration event on May 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be recipe samples, along with demonstrations on food safety, knife care, and proper knife usage in the home kitchen from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., along with store sales and giveaways. The shoppe is a USDA-inspected retail meat sales operation that sells cuts of beef, pork, lamb, goat, smoked and slicing sausages, brats, naturally cased weiners, and multiple varieties of ready to eat snack sticks. The retail store, lo ..read more

LAGRANGE, Ind. — Just 50 years ago, people referred to manure as animal waste, a term I do not hear much anymore. Today, I think most people are aware that animal manure has value as a fertilizer. Whether you are a farmer or gardener, you are probably aware that manure contains valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, some of which is tied up in a slow-release form that can benefit the soil for years forward. There are times of the year, typically after the crops are planted, that finding a place to apply the manure can be difficult.  That is one reason why so many p ..read more

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State University Agriculture will partner with Cattlemen’s Congress and the Noble Research Institute to host a summit for cattle industry leaders on the OSU campus in Stillwater on May 22 and 23. The 2024 Blueprint for the Future Cattleman’s Conference will offer panel discussions and presentations on gene editing, breeding systems, regenerative ranching and sustainability. Presenters will include cattle industry professionals from OSU, TransOva Genetics, the American Angus Association, Kansas State University and the American Hereford Association. O ..read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 105,000 head on April 1, 2024, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was unchanged from March but up 11 percent from April 1, 2023.  Placements of cattle and calves in Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during March totaled 14,000 head, unchanged from February but down 7 percent from last year. Marketings of fed cattle from Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,00 ..read more

PRESCOTT, Wis. — The Soil Your Undies contest combines crude humor and crude science to help farmers see how the management choices they make impact the soil they work in. For two years now, local farmers and landowners have been burying extra large pairs of Hanes underwear, with the help of local Farmer-Led Watershed Councils, in a friendly competition to see how well their soil breaks down cotton. In just 2 months, healthy soils can completely demolish a pair of tighty whities, whereas briefs “planted” in unhealthy soils often don’t show much decay. Measuring the decay of the cotton in under ..read more

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — The list of pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators’ Act has been updated. Please note that the following products have been added: Perox Ag Pro Mix O AGTIV Defend Pro Mix O AGTIV Fortify SNS DC SNS PC Insecticide If you have any questions about these changes, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us. We are currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label we have reviewed that we believe could be used on marijuana without violating ..read more

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — This Illinois Beef Foundation is pleased to announce eight young people from across the state as 2024 scholarship recipients. The Foundation wishes to recognize the incredible talent of young beef industry enthusiasts by helping them achieve their educational goals. The following individuals each receive a $1,000 scholarship: Aubrey Wagner of Onarga is the daughter of Calvin and Alicia Wagner. She is a senior at Iroquois West High School and plans to attend Iowa State University in the fall. Wagner has been involved in several breed associations throughout her time as a jun ..read more

MANHATTAN, Kan. – White grubs, identifiable by their ivory white bodies and brown heads, feed on the root systems of brome fields causing plant loss, said K-State entomologist, Anthony Zukoff, noting that the pests are currently showing up in some eastern Kansas fields. “They’re developing in the soil and consuming roots,” he said. “They’re going to stop the plants from taking in moisture (and) nutrients and will just basically damage the plant if not kill it outright.” White grubs, which curl up into a distinct C-shape when disturbed, inflict variable harm, according to Zukoff. “There are som ..read more

LINCOLN, Neb. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency waiver that will allow the sale of E15 fuel nationwide during summer 2024. The waiver comes two months after the EPA approved a request from the governors of eight Midwest states, including Nebraska, that allows the year-round sale of E15 in the governors’ respective states beginning in 2025. “We welcome and are thankful for the EPA’s announced emergency waiver,” Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) Executive Director Reid Wagner said. “These waivers will ensure consumer access this summer to lower-cost, lower ..read more