As producers begin to hit the fields for the start of the 2023 planting season, its always a good idea to remind ourselves of the practices that keep farmers, their families, and their workers safe. National Grain Safety Week, which runs March 27-31 this year, is an industry wide initiative aimed at raising awareness of …
I always like browsing the list of the top farmland owners. Below is the most recent list I have seen. (Source: FarmlandRiches, Cari Scribner) 1. Bill Gates – Currently owns about 242,000 acres of farmland in 18 states. His largest holdings are in: Louisiana (69,100 acres), Arkansas (48,000 acres), and Nebraska 20,500 acres. In 2010, the …
Every two years, the United States Championship Cheese Contest is held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The “Dairy State” has hosted the biennial competition since 1981, where entries are evaluated by judges from across the nation. While Wisconsin cheesemakers had an impressive showing this year, taking home 54 “Best of Class” awards, the most prestigious honor …
Chevron, the second largest oil company in the US, is teaming up with Ag giants Bunge and Corteva on a renewable fuels project made from canola. The companies intend to plant as much as 10 million acres as winter cover crops in states across the southern US using a proprietary hybrid produced by Corteva, a …
Will Canola Become a More Lucrative Crop as Big Oil Embraces Renewable Fuels? Read More »
Today we celebrate “National Ag Day”… With the battle taking place in Ukraine it’s a great time to remember just how important our producers are to our nation’s food security. It was back in 1973 when the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) created this day to increase the public’s awareness of the vital role of …
The US is considering mass vaccination of poultry birds against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) as the death toll from the disease pushes toward 60 million. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it has already begun testing potential vaccines and is in discussions with industry leaders. Historically, such a move has met fierce …
Born in 1860 on a farm in Greenwich, New York, Anna Mary Robertson was the third of ten children. She left home at age 12 to work as a “hired girl” on various wealthy neighboring farms. At age 27, she met Thomas Moses at one of those farms and the two soon married. They relocated …
From Humble “Farm Wife” to Famous Artist… It’s Never Too Late! Read More »
St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, March 17, which for many Americans means stuffing themselves with corned beef. Most probably assume this is a traditional Irish food but it was actually created right here in the US by Irish immigrants. While Ireland does have a long and somewhat complicated history with the dish, it was nothing …
The History of America’s Most Popular St. Patrick’s Day Meal Read More »
Argentina’s crops are in trouble as a third year of La Niña deepens one of the worst droughts in at least four decades. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its most recent supply and demand report downgraded both Argentina’s corn and soybean output in 2022/23 for a third month in a row, subsequently reducing …
Heavy Cuts to Argentina’s Corn and Soybean Crops Complicate the Global Supply Picture Read More »
It was on this day in 1794 that a young 29-year-old Eli Whitney was issued a US Patent (#X0072) for his cotton gin. Whitney was born into a farming family in 1765 in Westboro, Massachusetts. The oldest of five children, he spent much of his young life puttering around his father’s workshop. By age 14, …
How the “Cotton Gin” Forever Changed Agriculture Read More »
