*USDA is testing retail ground beef for the H5N1 virus in states without breaks of the virus in dairy cattle. *There is a lot of optimism this year for growing cotton in Texas. *The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is taking applications for the TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation’s Working Grant Program. *Cattle prices are expected to get stronger this year, but we could still see some wild swings in the market. *Lawmakers from Texas continue to stand up for Rio Grande Vall...
May 02, 2024•23 min•Ep. 958
*USDA is making another move toward an electronic identification system for livestock. *Corn stunt disease is showing up in Texas, but it’s not expected to affect yields much. *The outlook for cattle prices remains optimistic. *The closure of Texas’ only sugar mill is getting a lot of attention from lawmakers. *Spring is bringing optimism to farmers in the Texas Rolling Plains. *May is expected to bring more rain and severe weather to Texas. *The Food and Drug Administration is proposing new reg...
May 01, 2024•23 min•Ep. 957
*Strong storms brought big rain to some parts of Texas. *The state’s largest farm organization is now offering grants to agricultural mechanics and metal technologies educators. *The Texas Department of Agriculture is thanking other state agriculture departments for their help during the Panhandle wildfires. *The State of Texas is looking for ways to reduce the wildfire threat. *The U.S. Trade Representative addressed concerns that the administration isn’t doing enough for agricultural trade. *A...
Apr 30, 2024•23 min•Ep. 956
*Herd rebuilding may be getting underway according to the latest Cattle on Feed report. *The area of Texas impacted by drought rose slightly over the past week. *The wildfires damaged a lot of water wells in the Texas Panhandle. *Getting better control of wildfires was a big topic at last week’s Hemphill County Beef Conference. *A very good winter wheat crop is progressing in the Central Texas Blacklands. *Agricultural organizations are asking the White House to do more for agricultural trade. *...
Apr 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 955
*The condition of the Texas wheat crop is declining. *South Texas citrus may be under attack from an invasive pest. *Applications are open for the American Sheep Industry Associations annual Sheep Heritage Foundation scholarship. *The outlook for herd rebuilding in the Texas High Plains is unclear for now. *If Congress want to pass a new Farm Bill this year, members say it must be bipartisan. *We'll visit with a Texas Panhandle farmer about the condition of his wheat crop. *The Texas Animal Heal...
Apr 26, 2024•23 min•Ep. 954
*There are new restrictions on moving dairy cattle across state lines. *The state’s first anthrax case of the year has been detected. *Recovery continues for Texas ranches burned out by wildfires. *The battle over beef imports from Paraguay takes an interesting turn. *A U.S. Senator from Texas is fighting for fair disaster payments through USDA. *Tight U.S. beef supplies are challenging red meat exporters. *Corn planters are rolling in Lubbock County. *Deworming calves prior to weaning is a good...
Apr 25, 2024•23 min•Ep. 953
*Cotton planting is moving forward in Texas. *The aftermath of the Panhandle wildfires can cause mental health issues that need to be addressed. *Beef on dairy has become a very big deal for dairies and feedyards in the Texas Panhandle. *EPA recently took action to save drivers money at the pump and help ethanol production. *A North Texas cattle ranch was named the National Environmental Stewardship Award winner. *The onion harvest is underway in Deep South Texas. *Lots of horses develop laminit...
Apr 24, 2024•23 min•Ep. 952
*There will be no more sugarcane grown in Texas. *Orange production in Texas fell last year, while grapefruit production increased. *BASF recognized 56 farmers in Lubbock for making the FiberMax One Ton Club. *A change in the weather could a strategic consideration for Texas High Plains farmers. *Agricultural trade was one of the many topics Texas farmers and ranchers addressed with their lawmakers last week in Washington D.C. *Central Texas farmers and ranchers are experiencing a totally differ...
Apr 23, 2024•23 min•Ep. 951
*A Texas ranch is suing power companies over the recent wildfires. *Texas landowners have more time to apply for funding and technical assistance to improve water quality. *A North Texas ranch won a national award for environmental stewardship. *The number of cattle in Texas feedlots remains high. *Lawmakers from Texas are working to resolve the Rio Grande Valley’s water dispute with Mexico. *The Texas rice crop is being planted. *East Texas has been getting wet recently. *It’s time for spring v...
Apr 22, 2024•23 min•Ep. 950
*Texas ranchers and landowners got a unanimous victory from the Supreme Court. *A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken about the lack of water payments from Mexico and the effect it’s having on the Rio Grande Valley. *Getting a Farm Bill passed this year won’t be easy. *A groundwater conservation district in the Texas Panhandle is researching ways to produce good crops while conserving water. *Persistent winds and increasing temperatures are quic...
Apr 19, 2024•23 min•Ep. 949
*Texas has the best wheat crop in several years. *USDA is now accepting nominations for farmers who would like to serve on the United Sorghum Checkoff Board. *Cotton planting nationwide is 8% done. *Students in the West Texas A&M Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter are preparing to hold a special event for students with disabilities. *Texas farmers and ranchers are meeting with lawmakers in Washington D.C. *USDA released the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand report last week. *The food ...
Apr 18, 2024•23 min•Ep. 948
*USDA is cutting several cattle reports, and that could cause a problem for the Texas cattle industry. *Registration is now underway for the virtual South Texas Agriculture Symposium. *Industrial hemp processing is underway in Wichita Falls. *West Texas A&M University is getting a boost in its effort to build new feedlot research facilities. *Texas farmers and ranchers are heading to Washington D. C. *This has been a good spring for wheat and cattle in the Concho Valley. *With spring here, i...
Apr 17, 2024•23 min•Ep. 947
*Texas Panhandle ranchers are recovering from the wildfires. *National Sorghum Producers is accepting entries for the National Sorghum Yield Contest. *The Texas NRCS announced an additional signup for the National Water Quality Initiative. *Fed cattle prices remain strong, but Texas feedyards are finding it challenging to make a profit. *Agriculture cybersecurity was the topic of a recent House Ag Committee hearing. *The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be strong. *The Rolling Plains wheat c...
Apr 16, 2024•23 min•Ep. 946
*Corn planting is getting underway in West Texas. *Early registration is underway for the Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog field day. *Texas strawberry growers have enjoyed an early start to their season, and the crop looks excellent. *Selling wheat as hay may be the most profitable option for wheat growers in the Texas Panhandle. *USDA is cancelling the July Cattle Inventory report. *Plains Cotton Growers are working on some priority issues. *April is a good gardening month in Texa...
Apr 15, 2024•23 min•Ep. 945
*USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is cancelling the July Cattle Inventory report. *Nominations are being sought for Texas representatives on the Cattlemen’s Research and Promotion Board. *The likelihood of getting a Farm Bill passed this year is slim. Another crop season is getting underway in the Texas Panhandle, and farmers will once again try to make the most out of limited water. *Southern Plains farmers are getting ready for another cotton growing season. *Lawmakers say there...
Apr 12, 2024•23 min•Ep. 944
*Texas farmers are suing USDA over disaster aid discrimination. *Time is running out for Texas dairy farmers to enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage program. *The King Ranch has acquired a 50% stake in Cobalt Cattle, which is the nation’s 4th largest cattle feeder. *Farmers can find both economic and agronomic benefits by diversifying their crop mix. *Senate Ag Republicans say they are working to put more "farm" in the Farm Bill. *USDA released a study on the past 60 years of American agriculture...
Apr 11, 2024•23 min•Ep. 943
*The American Association of Bovine Practitioners released a new name for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in cattle. *Drought conditions continue to improve across Texas. *Livestock producers should be careful when restocking drought stressed rangelands. *We’re getting very close to spring planting time on the Texas High Plains. *Rio Grande Valley farmers are preparing to harvest watermelons. *The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has released a new report outlining barriers to agricultural t...
Apr 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 942
*Dairy cattle are recovering from HPAI. *There is more corn in storage now than at this same time last year. *Texas is losing a livestock sale barn. *When weather forecasters in the Texas High Plains are trying to assess the potential for severe weather, a key issue is determining where the dry line is. *U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says we are focusing too much on our top four markets for agricultural exports. *Water challenges continue for farmers in the Rio Grande Valley. *A good...
Apr 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 941
*Agriculture is an integrity-based industry, but farmers and ranchers need to be careful about who they do business with. *The weekly cash fed cattle price is very important to cattle marketing. *Texas cotton growers are watching the Farm Bill debate closely. *When severe weather situations develop, getting the earliest possible warning is critical. *The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking Congress to update reference prices. Things are green and growing around the Coastal Bend area of Sou...
Apr 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 940
*The political environment in Washington D.C. is getting tougher for agriculture. *The Texas Bankers Association held its Agriculture and Rural Affairs conference last week in Ft. Worth. *What was behind the recent run up of old crop cotton to over one dollar a pound? *Texas High Plains will be getting the new crop season underway very soon. *Cotton acreage is projected to be higher this year, but well under expectations. *A group of lawmakers is asking House and Senate leadership to consider ad...
Apr 05, 2024•23 min•Ep. 939
*A Texas ranch is on the cutting edge of gene editing. *A group of Texas lawmakers has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State asking for enforcement of the 1944 U.S.-Mexican water treaty. *Texas corn planting has passed the halfway mark. *Most are quick to point to Avian Influenza when it comes to the mysterious disease affecting Texas Panhandle dairy cattle, but there’s still more to be determined about the actual cause. *Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to reform the H2A guest wo...
Apr 04, 2024•23 min•Ep. 938
*Preserving the Livestock Risk Protection program is a top priority for cattle feeders. *There are fewer hogs and pigs in Texas right now. *A poultry facility in the Texas Panhandle has contracted Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. *The Texas wheat crop is now in the home stretch. *Texas cotton farmers are looking forward to another growing season. *The United States is losing farmers and farmland. *Planters are beginning to roll in North Central Texas. *It’s lambing time for many sheep herds....
Apr 03, 2024•23 min•Ep. 937
*A new vaccine for bovine respiratory disease has been developed at Louisiana State University. *Texas ranchers who use traps may have to check them every 36 hours for mountain lions. *USDA’s Prospective Plantings report released last week shows a big drop in possible corn acreage this year. *The Texas Panhandle wheat crop has very good potential this year. *A U.S. Senator says California’s proposition 12 is already taking a toll. *Livestock in some areas of West Texas are still suffering the ef...
Apr 02, 2024•23 min•Ep. 936
*Cotton has a demand problem. *Our time with El Nino is coming to an end. *There are new tools to help Texas ranchers control mesquite. *The condition of the Texas wheat crop is improving. *Forage sorghum is proving to be a good fit for the Texas High Plains. *The chances for getting a new Farm Bill are going down by the day. *April is expected to bring higher temperatures and more rainfall across Texas. *The weather has been a bit confusing in East Texas. *Livestock respiratory disease is a pos...
Apr 01, 2024•23 min•Ep. 935
*Texas cow-calf producers have a positive future ahead. *The recent cases of HPAI in dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas are not the only cases of the disease crossing over into mammals. *Corn planting is nearing the half-way point in Texas. *Spring planting is getting close in the Texas Panhandle. *Farm organizations are asking the EPA to allow E-15 use in the summer. *There are some internet access options to consider when purchasing rural Texas land. *The sun is shining, and corn is growing in t...
Mar 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 934
*Lufkin cattleman Carl Ray Polk was elected as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association at their recent annual convention. *USDA recently authorized landowners enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program to donate their grazing or haying rights to help ranchers impacted by wildfires. *Cotton may be a profitable crop in Texas this year. *There is a lot of good looking wheat around the Texas High Plains. *A Texas congressman visited a Texas farm, a dairy and Texas agribu...
Mar 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 933
*We are seeing record cattle prices in 2024, thanks to a shrinking cattle herd and strong demand. *Helena AgriEnterprises has an update from the TSCRA convention in Ft. Worth. *The Texas Panhandle wildfires are out, but the need for relief will continue for a long time. *USDA is forecasting lower net farm income this year. *A donation of cotton blankets to a Texas children’s hospital emphasizes the cotton industry’s dedication to communities. *Hay season is just around the corner. *The Texas Ani...
Mar 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 932
*Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was discovered in milk samples from two Texas dairies. *This year's first case of HPAI in birds was detected a few weeks ago. *The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has a new president. *Prescribed burning may help prevent future wildfires. *U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack clarified comments he made recently on use of the Commodity Credit Corporation funding. *Beef can be an important source of nutrition for infants and young children....
Mar 26, 2024•23 min•Ep. 931
*Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been found in Texas dairy cows. *Cattle traceability is a hot topic in the cattle industry right now. *Texas High Plains feedlots are staying full. *USDA is looking to increase its budget by over $2 billion. *Farmers are busy with field preparation on the Texas Southern Plains. *Coastal Bend farmers are experiencing a great start to the 2024 crop year. *USDA is accepting applications for veterinary repayment programs in Texas....
Mar 25, 2024•23 min•Ep. 930
*Cotton traders are watching Texas closely. *Texas honey production fell last year. *Farmers in the Texas Panhandle are preparing to roll the planters. *There are many stories about ranchers who survived the wildfires. *China’s threat to U.S. agriculture was the topic of a recent hearing in Congress. *The deadline for agricultural water conservation grant applications is coming up soon. *Soil acidity is caused by several things.
Mar 22, 2024•23 min•Ep. 929
