The Van Trump Report

Agriculture

Advanced Weather Prediction Is a Game-Changer for Agriculture

Last week, we introduced the Lezak Recurring Cycle (LRC) methodology, a weather prediction model that Gary Lezak has been refining over the past three decades. This week, we’ll explore how the LRC is transforming the agricultural sector by enabling precise and informed decisions through forecasts that are reliable up to nearly a year in advance. …

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US Dairy Farms Getting Bigger, but Numbers are Dramatically Shrinking

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently did a deep dive into the US dairy industry and the significant changes it has undergone over the past two decades. One of the biggest takeaways from the research is that while US dairy farm numbers have decreased significantly, milk production has increased thanks to advances in technologies and …

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Invasive Earthworms are Wreaking Havoc on America’s Soils

Earthworms generally tend to be viewed as a friendly find in gardens and farm fields. The squirmy creatures can be hugely beneficial in their native habitats, helping to aerate soil, breakdown organic matter, and recycle nutrients. Non-native species, however, can wreak havoc on ecosystems as some parts of North America are unfortunately starting to discover. …

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INTERESTING… Can “Weather Forecasting” Be Accurate Up to a Year Ahead?

I wanted to share that we are starting a new relationship with our good friend Gary Lezak at Weather20/20. Gary worked as the Chief Meteorologist at KSHB 41 in my hometown of Kansas City for 23 years, from 1999 to 2022, and has been doing some very interesting research the whole time. We believe his …

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How Dandelions and Sunflowers Could Secure the World’s Natural Rubber Supplies

Back in 2021, as the world was struggling with the pandemic-related supply chain meltdown, one of the critical raw materials that became very hard to find was rubber. While supply chain issues tied to shipping snags have since been resolved, natural rubber supplies remain under threat from a combination of disease and shifting climate patterns. …

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Looking Back at Our First Crop Dusters… Dedicated to One of Our Fallen Farming Families

Agricultural and aviation communities quietly celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the first use of the airplane for crop dusting. This week in 1921, Army Air Corps pilot Lieutenant John A. Macready, piloting a specially modified Curtiss JN4 Jenny, spread lead arsenate over a six-acre grove of 6,000 catalpa trees at Postmaster Harry Carver’s farm in …

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