Google works on a lot of seemingly random projects in its “X” division, which is the so-called “moonshot factory” tasked with developing breakthrough technologies to solve some of the world’s hardest problems. While many never see the light of day, several have been spun off into independent startups. The latest is “Heritable Agriculture,” a biotechnology …

Google’s “Moonshot Factory” Spins Out New AI-Driven Startup“ Heritable Agriculture” Read More »

Americans are expected to eat 1.3 billion chicken wings and drumsticks during Super Bowl LIX this Sunday, according to the National Chicken Council (NCC). To provide some reference, 1.3 billion wings is enough for every man, woman, and child in the United States to eat four wings each, or enough to put 693 wings on …

All about the “Chicken Wings” Read More »

The decimation of U.S. poultry flocks from the ongoing HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) outbreak continues to push egg prices to new heights, with no end in sight. Over 20 million egg-laying hens were lost to the disease in Q4 2024, including over 13 million in December alone. In January, another 14 million birds were …

What Are the Odds of a Bird Flu Vaccine for U.S. Poultry? Read More »

Across the U.S. Midwest lies an unseen network of cylindrical tiles that solved one of the biggest problems early settlers faced – drainage. In fact, a surprising swath of America’s most fertile farmland was once useless swampland, now transformed by drainage tile first introduced by European settlers back in the 1800s. At the time of …

How U.S. Farmers Drained the Midwest Swamps Read More »

In the past two decades, the world has mobilized around reducing and sequestering CO2, but CH4 remains critically under-addressed. In fact, many climate experts believe cutting methane is the single most impactful way to prevent planetary warming in our lifetime. “Methanotrophs” are a family of naturally occurring soil microbes that eat methane and transform it …

Cutting CH4 Perhaps as Important as Cutting CO2 Read More »

A recent report from the United Nations shows that an area almost a third larger than India has turned from humid conditions to permanently dry – or arid – in the past three decades. Excluding Antarctica, drylands now make up 40.6% of all land on Earth, a +3% increase compared to the earlier 30-year period. …

More Than 40% of Land on Earth is Now Permanently Dry Read More »

As we enter 2025, the agricultural sector is witnessing a transformative shift with the widespread adoption of “digital twin” technology. This innovative approach is reshaping how farmers manage their operations, optimize resource use, and boost productivity.  For reference, a “digital twin” is defined as a virtual representation of a physical object, system, or process that …

“Digital Twins” Helping Revolutionizing Production Agriculture Read More »

I always like looking at farms and ranches that are for sale. As we start the new year, here’s a snapshot of the biggest ranches currently on the market throughout the US. They combine for over +2.2 million acres, and this collection of ranches and farmland represents the sprawling and monumental diversity of land for sale across the country. I’ve had …

America’s Biggest Ranches Currently for Sale Read More »

Saudi Arabia is located smack in the middle of the Middle East and is covered mostly by arid desert, where summer temperatures average some 113 °F, and very little rainfall occurs. Needless to say, it’s not an environment where agriculture thrives so it was surprising to learn that the country is one of the world’s …

What You Might Not Know About Saudi Arabia’s Chicken Industry Read More »

Farmers that have integrated drones into their operations like the convenience and time-saving qualities of the technology for various tasks, such as scouting fields and checking in on livestock.  However, an oft-touted use – aerial applications – is still struggling to gain widespread adoption. Many farmers complain of small payloads and short battery life that …

“Rotor’s” Autonomous Helicopters Spray Fields, Fight Fires Read More »