America’s dairy farmers have continued to dwindle as the economics of the industry fail to support smaller operations. The USDA’s latest data shows that since 2003, the U.S. has lost more than half of its licensed dairy operations, which now stand at just under 32,000. The last three years have seen larger year-over-year declines than at any …
The U.S. National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kansas, more commonly known as the “Ag Center,” was chartered by Congress in 1960 to serve as the national museum of agriculture and a memorial to farming leaders. The 172-acre complex is one of the few museums in the country that focus specifically …
What You Might Not Know About the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame Read More »
Sir John Bennet Lawes, an English agronomist and founder of the artificial fertilizer industry died this day in 1900, but not before he would forever change how we grow our crops. Lawes found himself fatherless at the age of 8 and the responsibility of the 250-acre family farm left in the hands of just himself …
Fatherless College Dropout Turns Farm Debt into Fertilizer Dynasty Read More »
State agriculture departments across the country are urging people to show no mercy if they encounter a spotted lanternfly. The invasive species sucks the life from trees and crops while leaving behind a nasty residue that encourages the growth of sooty mold. Native to China, India, and Vietnam, the spotted lanternfly was first detected in …
Spotted Lanternfly Moving Across Country… What You Need to be Looking For Read More »
NASA’s Landsat program has been responsible for some amazing imagery of our tiny little planet along with an unparalleled data archive. It is the longest-running continuous space-based record of Earth in existence. For over 40 years, the Landsat program has collected spectral information from Earth’s surface, creating a historical archive unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, …
What You Might Not Know About NASA’s Landsat Project and Agriculture Read More »
We’ve all heard the warnings. Crop production needs to increase +70% by 2050 just to keep up with population growth. Available arable land has been decreasing worldwide since the 1960s. And at the same time, we are being forced to change our practices and scale back in many areas because of climate change. That’s the …
Last week America celebrated National Potato day and many historians will agree that today is the anniversary of the invention of the “potato chip”, which took place in 1853 at the Moon’s Lake House on Saratoga Lake in New York thanks to chef George Crum and a disgruntled customer. Interestingly the story really begins in …
Potato Chips Anniversary and the Great Potato Story Read More »
Venture capital has been funneling a lot of money into the agriculture and food technology space, thanks in part to the pandemic which highlighted existing fragilities in the global food supply chain. Some of the biggest fundraising buzz has centered around alternative proteins but the number shows that “farm tech”, aka technologies for farmers, is …
Farm Tech Attracting More Attention From Venture Capital Read More »
Canola markets face serious supply issues ahead with the crop in Canada taking a devastating hit from this year’s drought. Coupled with lowered output in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, production increases elsewhere won’t be enough to offset the losses. Canada’s production hit is particularly significant for the global export market, as the country accounts for about …
Global Canola Market Faces Serious Supply Deficit Read More »
Samuel Leeds Allen was the founder of S.L. Allen & Company in Philadelphia. He was the inventor of, and his company manufactured, both the Flexible Flyer sled and Planet Jr farm and garden equipment. For over one hundred years these products were the best selling and most famous American sleds and market gardening tools. During …
