Author: staff

Thanks to an experiment started before the Great Depression, researchers have pinpointed the genes behind the remarkable adaptability of barley, a key ingredient in beer and whiskey. These insights could ensure the crop’s continued survival amidst rapid climate change. Grown everywhere from Asia and Egypt to Norway and the Andes mountains of South America, barley is one of the world’s most important cereal crops and has been for at least 12,000 years. As it has spread across the globe, random changes to its DNA allowed it to survive in each new location. It is critical to identify the genes that…

This week, the National FFA Organization is hosting its Next Gen Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Next Gen Conferences prepare high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors for the more than 350 careers in agriculture and help fill the talent pipeline. The topic of the conference is Environmental Services and Natural Resources, and high school students and FFA members from across the country will learn through informational sessions, panels and tours. Tour locations in Salt Lake City during the conference include: Antelope Island Rio Tinto Kennecott Copper Mine The National FFA Organization recently announced its record-breaking milestone of having…

GSI is set to launch a new lineup of mixed-flow grain dryers for the 2025 harvest season, designed to enhance efficiency and protect grain quality. “Our new Mixed Flow dryers enable farmers to reduce downtime and maintain capacity with no screens to clean during the busy harvest season,” said Alan Lockwood, GSI’s conditioning product manager, highlighting how this technology allows farmers to focus on the critical task of getting crops to market. The introduction of modular designs offers flexibility to expand as farms grow, making the dryers adaptable to future needs. These dryers also feature lower airflow rates, which enhance…

When I scroll through my options for farm footwear, sneakers usually aren’t very high on the list. I tend to be looking for something rugged and durable, not colorful and speedy. But for folks interested in a new kind of versatility — and a good-looking option for overlapping your tasks between the farm and town — Caterpillar has an offering that is surprisingly enticing. I spent the past few weeks testing the Cat Footwear Streamline 2.0 hard-toe sneaker for this review. I came away finding opportunities that a sneaker was a functional alternative to my usual boots. I’ve long been…

Many members of the public lack familiarity with the farming methods known as “regenerative agriculture,” according to the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report. This probably isn’t too surprising since there’s no broadly accepted definition of “regenerative agriculture” and organizations that have tried to analyze the phrase found as many as 200 different definitions. There is also no unifying organization to monitor the phrase. The survey-based report from Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction, values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the…

Winston and Kristen Millikan, owners of Millikan Pecans in Texas, are part of a legacy that stretches back over a century, to when Winston’s great-great-grandfather planted the first pecan trees in San Saba in the late 1800s. His fascination with cross-pollination and grafting led to innovative techniques that laid the foundation for the family’s pecan farming business. The early days of pecan farming were experimental, with the farm’s founder attempting to grow identical pecan trees from nuts that he considered superior. He soon discovered, however, that pecans don’t grow true to type, meaning each tree from the same cluster could…

Kubota North America Corp. has acquired Bloomfield Robotics Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company specializing in crop monitoring technology. Bloomfield Robotics offers services that monitor the health and performance of specialty crops using advanced imaging and artificial intelligence, serving growers across seven countries and three continents. Kubota North America’s parent company, Kubota Corp., is based in Osaka, Japan, so the tractor brand also has a well-known international reach.  “Combining AI-driven technology with our legacy quality products will enable Kubota to solve real issues facing agriculture. This acquisition is a key milestone for Kubota’s strategic vision to provide comprehensive smart agriculture solutions,” said…

The 97th National FFA Convention & Expo is fast approaching, set for October 23 to 26, 2024, in Indianapolis. This multi-day event promises to be the highlight of the year for FFA members across the country, filled with opportunities to learn, compete, and celebrate their achievements. Registration opens at 6 p.m. ET tonight, and attendees are gearing up for an unforgettable experience. Attendees of the National FFA Convention & Expo can look forward to a packed schedule of activities. Full registration offers access to key events like the American FFA Degree Ceremony, the Expo, and student and teacher workshops. Whether…

In the Central Valley of California, Amazon warehouses have been popping up, seemingly overnight. California even tops the charts with the most warehouses of any state. However, this is highly strategic in such a populous state, as the online retail giant’s expansion has been occurring for years. For example, in 2022, Amazon purchased 60 acres of farmland in Gilroy, California, to build a delivery center and warehouse. While Gilroy falls within the “Silicon Valley” boundaries, and Google has a presence there, the purchase was met with pushback due to environmental impacts. For those unfamiliar with this area, it is known…

Citing worsening economic conditions impacting the nation’s farmers, over 300 national and state groups, including the National Corn Growers Association and its affiliated corn state grower associations, sent a letter to congressional leaders today calling on them to pass the farm bill before year’s end. Signatories included groups representing farmers, livestock and specialty crop producers, lenders, and other essential stakeholders in agricultural communities across the U.S. Commodity and lending groups will head to the Capitol en masse this week to advocate for passage of the legislation with a stronger agricultural safety net. “It is critical that Congress pass a new…