*The Senate is now the key to getting a new Farm Bill. *Texas deer hunters are now required to dispose of unwanted carcasses in one of three ways. *We may have the best U.S. wheat harvest in five years. *What’s ahead for Texas High Plains cattle producers? *A bill that will put pressure on Mexico to deliver the water it owes South Texas is moving forward. *A Southeast Texas field day provided farmers with the latest technology updates. *Choosing the best mineral supplement for cattle can be conf...
Jun 14, 2024•23 min•Ep. 989
*It will be difficult to get a Farm Bill passed before the November election. *USDA is urging farmers to report their planted acreage. *Texas Farm Bureau distributed more than 1.8 million to ranchers impacted by the spring wildfires. *Some Texas Panhandle farmers and ranchers are enjoying spring rains. *Concerns with the agricultural trade deficit and trade agreements will likely continue into next year. *There is some cautious optimism about the prospects of a new Farm Bill. *Weed management in...
Jun 13, 2024•23 min•Ep. 988
*A Texas judge has put a temporary stop to a USDA disaster aid program. *Texas farmers and ranchers continue to wait for a new Farm Bill. *The condition of the Texas cotton crop is declining. *Animal rights activists are continuing their efforts to undermine the livestock industry. *The Senate Ag Committee’s ranking member released his Farm Bill priorities. *Crop conditions vary across Texas depending on location and the impact of the weather. *The White House announced steep tariff increases on...
Jun 12, 2024•23 min•Ep. 987
*Last year’s drought is still affecting Texas cow herds. *Crawfish producers in 14 Texas counties are eligible for USDA aid. *Panda Biotech is holding a grand opening of the new hemp gin this week in Wichita Falls. *Livestock producers can make a very important contribution when it comes to advocating for animal agriculture. *U.S. lawmakers from Texas continue their work to get Mexico to comply with the 1944 water treaty. *Texas pecan growers are facing some challenges this year. *Texas trees ha...
Jun 11, 2024•23 min•Ep. 986
*The national debt is affecting farmers and ranchers. *Wheat harvest is starting early in the Texas Panhandle. *The agenda of animal rights activists is a concern in the Texas High Plains. *American farmers, ranchers and business owners could pay more in death taxes. *Far West Texas leads the state in pecan production. *Wheat harvest is underway in North Central Texas. *New research was discussed at the American Sheep Industry convention.
Jun 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 985
*The House version of the Farm Bill contains measures that will add money to the farm safety net. *Drought conditions continue to improve across much of Texas. *Wheat harvest is running early this year. *Limited irrigation capacity is a major issue for all Texas High Plains farmers. *New and young farmers told the Senate Ag Committee they need a new Farm Bill. *Heavy spring rains in Central Texas have impacted sheep producers there. *It is important for horses to get good sleep....
Jun 07, 2024•23 min•Ep. 984
The Ogallala aquifer continues to decline in the Texas Panhandle. An increasing number of U.S. farmers say they expect farmland values to continue to rise. Corn planting is almost done in Texas. The winter wheat season is coming to an end in the Texas High Plains. The Senate Ag Committee is sharing details on how to help new farmers in the Farm Bill. Another hot Texas summer is ahead, and that means we should be prepared for wildfires. East Texas is wet and rainy. Cows can have twins from time t...
Jun 06, 2024•23 min•Ep. 983
Is the July Cattle Inventory report gone for good? Technical and financial assistance is available for Texas farmers and ranchers who have been impacted by recent flooding. Registration is now open for the 2024 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. Cattle prices have taken some wild swings in recent months. OSHA is looking at a possible heat standard for workers. A very active tropical season could be ahead. Central Texas farmers are having to work around Mother Nature this spring. Recent rain...
Jun 04, 2024•23 min•Ep. 981
*Areas of South Texas are dry, but conditions are improving. *Texas A&M AgriLife is hosting a vulture management webinar. *The World Livestock Auctioneer Contest is coming up in a couple of weeks with three Texans competing. *The Texas Beef Council is working to expand demand for beef products that aren’t very popular in our country. *USDA has released another proposed rule under the Packers and Stockyards Act. *June is National Dairy Month. *The lack of rainfall has taken a toll on crops in...
Jun 03, 2024•23 min•Ep. 980
*Spring planting is on schedule for most crops in Texas. *The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission has approved a trap check standard on mountain lions. *USDA has proposed allowing dairy farmers to bulk test milk for H5N1 before they can ship cattle across state lines. *The Texas A&M Forest Service is encouraging Texans to prepare for summer wildfires. *Another La Nina is headed our way. *A provision to prevent future legislation like California’s Proposition 12 has been included in the Hou...
May 31, 2024•23 min•Ep. 979
*Crop conditions vary across Texas, depending on the weather conditions. *Farmers and ranchers in Texas and Oklahoma hired fewer workers last month. *Texas feedlots inventories are down slightly compared to a year ago, with placements taking a big drop. *Spring planted crops are in the early growing stages in the Texas High Plains. *USDA is allocating millions of dollars to promote ag trade. *A wide cross section of both urban and rural students are competing in high school barbeque competitions...
May 30, 2024•23 min•Ep. 978
*The number of cattle in feedlots is finally dropping. *Egg production in Texas fell last month. *Wheat harvest continues across the state. *A partnership between the Texas Tech Vet School and the Hereford Veterinary clinic will provide a lot of opportunities for both students and researchers. *The Farm Bill continues to move forward, so what’s next? *Texas is one of the only states to have high school barbeque competitions. *The high temperatures of the Texas summer are just around the corner. ...
May 29, 2024•23 min•Ep. 977
*How many acres of cotton will be planted in Texas this year? *Several provisions crafted by Texas lawmakers were included in the House version of the Farm Bill. *Texas Tech veterinary students are receiving a special opportunity from a clinic in Hereford. *The DeltaPine New Product Evaluator program is kicking off its 17th year. *Crops are growing and farming is in full swing across Texas. *Castration is one of the most common surgical procedures on horses....
May 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 976
There’s a new leader at the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. The House version of the farm bill has been voted out of committee. Cattle placements are currently down, but that could change. Strong rural land sales continue across Texas. Pneumonia is a serious and common problem in sheep and goats.
May 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 975
*There are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of cattle and equipment theft in Texas. *Crop insurance options for silage production varies. *Storms brought high winds, rain and even a tornado to Central Texas Wednesday. *The House Committee on Agriculture spent hours Thursday marking up its leadership’s version of the 2024 Farm Bill. *Two men were imprisoned in Pennsylvania for using ultrasound on dairy cows to check for pregnancy.
May 24, 2024•23 min•Ep. 974
*This spring has brought some much-needed rainfall to parts of Texas. *Cattle feeders are looking at various strategies to export more meat around the globe. *When producing forage, it’s important to consider irrigation capacity, wells and ability for wells to recover. *The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is expressing his concerns with the House GOP farm bill. *There are new regulations regarding horse soring.
May 23, 2024•23 min•Ep. 973
*Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley are still waiting on water from Mexico. *There are both pros and cons to silage production. *A small lizard found in parts of far West Texas is being added to the endangered species list. *Efforts to rebuild the nation’s cattle herd continue. *The U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies are taking additional action to protect livestock and people from H5N1.
May 22, 2024•23 min•Ep. 972
*Although drought conditions continue to improve across much of Texas, some areas could still use a rain. *An investigation into imported 2,4-D, and potential duties on those imports, will continue. *Rural agricultural land sales are strong. High interest rates and input costs are putting pressure on cattle feeders’ margins. *There are a limited number of drugs approved for use in sheep.
May 21, 2024•23 min•Ep. 971
*Final results are in from the 2024 Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Red Winter Wheat Tour. *A Texas ranch has been honored for its conservation efforts. *The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is filing a civil suit in Texas against Agridime, LLC. *The majority of Texas is now drought free. *There has been a big increase in silage production in the Texas High Plains. *The new Farm Bill could include language to help farmers and ranchers impacted by a lack of water in the Rio Grande Valley. *The U...
May 20, 2024•23 min•Ep. 970
*Recent rains were welcome in the Texas Coastal Bend. *Cotton could be a profitable crop in Texas this year, but the margins will be thin. *Burned out Panhandle wildfire victims need fencing materials. *There’s reason to be optimistic about the wheat crop on the Texas High Plains. *A U.S. congresswoman from South Texas is fighting to get help for farmers in the Rio Grande Valley. *May is Beef Month, and grilling season is getting underway. *The Southern Plains of Texas has gotten a bit dry as pl...
May 17, 2024•23 min•Ep. 969
*The Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Red Winter Wheat tour is underway across Kansas. *An invasive pest that is killing ash trees is spreading across Texas. *The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is taking applications for the new Leadership Development Foundation’s Working Grant Program. *If a landowner leases property to a solar company, can the landowner still farm on that land? *USDA is providing financial support for dairies impacted by the H5N1 virus. *The Environmental Protec...
May 16, 2024•23 min•Ep. 968
*Planters continue to roll in Texas. *The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will decide next week if Texas should be required to check traps regularly for mountain lions. *This year’s Texas wheat crop is expected to be smaller than last years. *Lease offers from solar energy companies is becoming more common across Texas. *Senate Agriculture Committee leadership is outlining their goals for the 2024 Farm Bill. *Severe storms in Central Texas have caused damage to crops. *Another new regenerati...
May 15, 2024•23 min•Ep. 967
A bipartisan group of the Texas congressional delegation is demanding Congress withhold federal funding for Mexico because of their unwillingness to abide by the 1944 water treaty. The House Agriculture Committee will mark up the Farm Bill next week. More money was raised for Texas wildfire victims last week. It’s a busy time for farmers in the Texas High Plains. The current extension of the Farm Bill expires at the end of September. May is Beef Month. Strong storms have wreaked havoc in spring ...
May 14, 2024•23 min•Ep. 966
*USDA announced the launch of financial assistance for dairy farmers affected by the H5N1 virus. *Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz introduced the Texas Agricultural Producers Assistance Act. *The volatility in cattle futures continues as cash prices remain strong. *Producing and selling beef on dairy calves has been beneficial for both feedyards and dairies. *Two Texas lawmakers are working to help ranchers who lost unborn cattle in the wildfires. *Texas cotton gins are facing both challenges and...
May 13, 2024•23 min•Ep. 965
*Texas spring crop planting is right on schedule. *The 2024 Oklahoma Wheat Crop Tour forecasts more than 2 million harvested acres this year. *Forage is not always enough when it comes to the nutritional needs of cattle. *Officials discussed cyber attacks and the threat to U.S. agriculture at a recent Senate committee hearing. *Central Texas farms are waterlogged after a string of heavy rains. *There’s a lot going on in agriculture on the Texas Rolling Plains. *An unusual respiratory disease has...
May 10, 2024•23 min•Ep. 964
*A new threat to U.S. beef and dairy cattle is spreading. *Texas farmer and ranchers along the Mexican border continue to face the consequences of illegal immigration. *Texas agriculture has lost a legend. *The Environmental Protection Agency Committee has created a new subcommittee on animal agriculture water quality. *The state’s largest farm organization is increasing its investments in scholarships. *Storms continue to move through East Texas, making it hard to bale spring hay. *There is an ...
May 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 963
*Wildfire recovery continues in the Texas Panhandle. *The biggest rebuilding cost for many burned out ranchers will be rebuilding the ranch infrastructure. *Three U.S. Senators are calling for enhanced interagency coordination in response the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle. *Texas is the number one horse state. *Flood waters are covering many counties in Texas after heavy rainfall. *There have been several changes to the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule over the past year. *A cool and wet weather pa...
May 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 962
*The Panhandle wildfires caused $123 million in agricultural losses. *Will there be any type of loss program for dairy farmers affected by H5N1? *It’s time to plant cotton in the Texas Panhandle and Southern Plains. *Farmers and ranchers on the South Plains of West Texas could use some rain. *House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders have release dualling frameworks for the Farm Bill. *Controlling pests properly will help produce safe food from your garden. *It’s the time of year for rain r...
May 07, 2024•23 min•Ep. 961
*Texas wheat conditions are improving. *This is a good time to lock in a price on your calf crop using the Livestock Risk Protection program. *A good mineral supplementation program is vital for cattle in the spring. *Lawmakers are asking USDA to reconsider cutting reports that are vital to agriculture. *Farm Bill markup is expected to start later this month. *A common pasture management problem faced by most Texas hay and livestock producers is controlling weeds and brush. *Checking the tempera...
May 06, 2024•23 min•Ep. 960
*Action is happening on the Farm Bill in Washington. *El Nino is on the way out, while La Nina is on the way in. *No live H5N1 virus has been found in tests of retail ground beef. *Providing beef consumers with a positive dining experience was a topic at the recent Hemphill County Beef Conference in Canadian. *USDA recently announced cuts to several livestock and crop reports. *Southeast Texas is getting flooded from two weeks of heavy rains. *Extreme South Texas is warm and dry. *Bovine tubercu...
May 03, 2024•23 min•Ep. 959
