A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

Palmer amaranth is once again a hot topic this growing season as the noxious weed continues its relentless spread into more of the country. Considered one of the most destructive weeds in agriculture, stakeholders have been frantically working on new solutions but as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's why agronomists ...
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There are approximately 900 million acres of farmland in the US and less than 2% of the population directly works on farms. To ensure profitability, farmers and agronomists need to regularly scout their fields to ensure their crops are not being damaged by pests and diseases, but this work takes hours and comes with a large margin of error.A company ...
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Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company has been using soybean oil in some of its tires since around 2017 following about five years of research with support from the United Soybean Board. Now, the third-largest tire manufacturer in the world has committed to the use of only "sustainably sourced" U.S. soybean oil, effective immediately, while phasing out all petroleum-derived oils from ...
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A long-time item on the egg industry's wish list is the ability to determine the sex of a chick embryo long before it hatches. Such technology is key to helping the industry end the grim practice of eliminating unwanted male chics. In Europe, some companies have already introduced "no-kill eggs" ahead of national laws ending the practice by 2022 in ...
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One of the most expensive food items in the world is the elusive truffle, a species of mushroom prized by top chefs and eaters alike with a price tag to match. It can be a highly lucrative crop but the trick to successfully growing the "diamond of gastronomy" is as elusive as the truffles themselves. One company that seems to ...
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Marysville, Kansas is home to a very different kind of livestock operation called The Lighthouse, which doesn't raise its critters for profit but rather familiarity. Cows, goats, and other farm animals provide the backdrop for The Lighthouse's memory support facility where they care for individuals suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. The Lighthouse attracted attention this winter when pictures of a ...
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America's farm labor shortage is a persistent, long-running problem that most agree has no easy solution. Many operations have turned to the use of migrant farm labor, usually through the H-2A visa program that allows U.S. employers to bring foreign laborers in for temporary work. Since 1986 when the government began allowing for an uncapped number of temporary agricultural workers, ...
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There is a lot happening in the agtech world these days with a steady stream of gadgets and gizmos always being introduced. The appeal from a startup standpoint is obvious, as agriculture has a lot of areas where technology can deliver real and certifiable results that farmers can be convinced to pay for. I can't think of any possible result ...
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Cellular meat has been on the ag industry's radar for several years now as the burgeoning technology makes steady advances. Those achievements can sometimes be a little exaggerated by the media, which seems to adore the story of cellular agriculture. The headlines always make it sound like lab-grown steak is en route to your local grocery store, only to find ...
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There are some in the ag world that worry a significant drought could be lurking. Over half the Lower 48 is looking at varying levels of drought stretching from the Pacific Northwest down to Texas and across the High Plains and Upper Midwest. As of late, there has been some much-needed moisture in many locations but many areas are also ...
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