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Guardian Agriculture has been working on an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft specifically geared toward large-scale agriculture since 2017. Sometimes referred to as “air taxis,” Guardian’s eVTOL doesn’t carry people but rather crop inputs, and it’s the first of its kind to gain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for commercial use. Drone use …

Guardian Agriculture’s Autonomous eVTOL Wins FAA Approval Read More »

It’s that time of year, and time to pay our remembrance to the “Homstead Act”. About 93 million Americans living today are the direct descendants of “homesteaders” those who filed claims under the “Homestead Act” which was signed on this weekend (May 20th) in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. Sadly, however, most of us have …

“Homestead Act”… More Than the Start of Our Family Legacy Read More »

Brazil’s luck in avoiding the spread of bird flu in South America seems to have run out. The country has confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, marking the first-ever occurrence in the country. As the world’s leading chicken exporter, global supplies could be seriously impacted if the disease spreads to …

Bird Flu Has Reached Brazil, the World’s Top Chicken Supplier Read More »

Diverse foods derived from livestock production systems, including grazing and pastoralist systems, and from the hunting of wild animals, provide high-quality proteins, important fatty acids, and various vitamins and minerals that cannot be easily obtained from plant-based substitutes. That is the conclusion of a new analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United …

NEW Report from FAO Makes Positive Case for “Animal-Derived” Food Products Read More »

Californians will soon face a severe pork shortage even as producers in the rest of the country will probably be sitting on surplus supplies. At least that’s the anticipated result of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to let California’s “Proposition 12” stand. The law, passed in 2018, bans the sale of pork in the state …

Supreme Court Deals Blow to Pork Industry by Upholding California Confinement Law Read More »

Today marks the 161st anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture, which President Abraham Lincoln called “The People’s Department.” Lincoln signed the bill to establish the independent agency on May 15, 1862, with a stated mission to “acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected to …

Happy Birthday, USDA! Read More »

Researchers at Stanford have designed an irrigation optimization tool that could help farmers reduce water use. The tool rapidly estimates water loss from soils due to “evapotranspiration,” a process that involves the evaporation of water into the atmosphere and the uptake of water by plants. The tool is designed to work with drip irrigation systems …

Stanford Researchers Develop New Tool to Help Optimize Irrigation Read More »

Sorghum growers may soon have new cultivars that protect against “anthracnose,” a fungal disease that can inflict devastating yield losses of up to 50%. Researchers from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Purdue University have discovered a gene that can help fortify the cereal crop against anthracnose, opening the door to disease-resistant cultivars. Sorghum …

Gene Discovery Could Protect Sorghum Crops From Yield-Killing Anthracnose Infections Read More »

It was on this day in 1869, the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met in Promontory, Utah, to drive a ceremonial “last spike” into a rail line that connected their two railroads. This made transcontinental railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S. history. No longer would western-bound travelers need …

Historical Look At The Railroad… How It Changed America Read More »

Tomatoes are warm-season plants that do not tolerate frost or chilly temperatures. My Grams always recommend planting early to mid-May when the danger of frost has passed and the soil has had a chance to warm. She always said to be sure to save the sunniest spots for your tomatoes, as this will often provide …

It’s Tomato Planting Season…  What You Might Not Know About the Plant’s Strange History Read More »