Disease has lead to a 5 to 6% drop in hog slaughters in the past year, which has also lead to empty barns and challenges expanding this herd in a healthy way. There have been many new hog facilities built in South Dakota, where pork production has been growing at a rate of 7% to 8% a year. High input and feed costs is also putting pressure on the industry as no one wants to get into swine production and not make a profit each year.
Much of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, but this doesn't stop mosquito season. Although there has not been significant rainfall, mosquitos and West Nile Virus are still an issue that horse owners should be aware of. Some ways to protect horses from the West Nile Virus include vaccinating your horses, hanging high-powered livestock fans and getting rid of as much standing water as possible. Lastly, minimize your horses' exposure...
Methane traps 80% more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, and while a cow is digesting food, they burp and methane is released into the atmosphere. Dairy farms make up a large portion of this methane, but they have been researching ways to control this for years. They have finally found a way to measure the amount of methane in the atmosphere at these dairies using drones so they have an accurate reading of how much methane dairies...
Citrus growers came together at an event in Lake Placid, FL to discuss the potential of bamboo as a commercial crop that can be grown on marginal grove land until a solution to Huanglongbing (HLB) is found. The young bamboo shoots are nutritious and popular with consumers as well as the lumber and wood products that it offers. Another good use is carbon sequestration, this is when carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in a solid...
As meat prices have stayed steadily higher than average, consumers will be tested once again as meat prices remain high through 2022, according to Brian Earnest, Lead Animal Protein Economist with CoBank. As the consumer dollar will not go as far as it once did, they may trade down in the meat case to a cheaper cut or kind. Earnest said, "The sharply higher costs for feed, energy, and labor haven’t fully impacted wholesale and retail meat...
From 2019 to 2020, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 4% according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Agriculture only represents 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the whole nation, this number is very low compared to other sectors in the economy. AFBF President, Zippy Duvall, said, "The most recent numbers show America’s farmers and ranchers are dedicated to feeding America’s families while remaining...
Agricultural cooperatives have been warned by the FBI about ransomware attacks are more likely to happen during planting and harvest seasons. “Cyber actors may perceive cooperatives as lucrative targets with a willingness to pay due to the time-sensitive role they play in agricultural production,” FBI states. Some ways to mitigate these attacks include regularly backing up data and installing updates, software, and firmware as soon as they...
For years there have been rumors of extremely high levels of pesticides on fresh produce that make it unhealthy to eat, this is actually a myth. Looking at the highest amount of residue found in the "dirty dozen" it was found that the levels are so low, that a child could eat thousands of servings of fruits and veggies and not have any health effects. Actually, most non-organic produce has such low levels of pesticides, that it could actually be...
As many know, the forestry industry has been experiencing skilled labor shortages as many of the logging contractors and machine operators are set to retire in the near future. A solution to this problem is virtual training for this heavy machinery so a younger workforce can be trained without using the actual equipment. CM Labs has partnered with Tigercat to offer a virtual training of its harvester and forwarder simulator training packs....
Stormwater detention ponds were created to remove 80% of phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids from bodies of water, but research shows that they only remove 50% or less. Most often people use the words "detention" and "retention" interchangeably, but these words mean two different types of ponds. Detention ponds hold water all year round, while retention ponds are empty until it rains and they fill up with water. These ponds are normally...
