The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Cattle on Feed Report shows the number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States was 11.1 million head on Aug. 1, 2018, 5 percent above Aug. 1, 2017. That makes it the highest Aug. 1 inventory since the series began back in 1996. According to Gary Crawford, …
Florida-Grown Foods Part of Rich Tailgating Tradition
Set up the grill; it’s tailgating season. Chicken, burgers, corn, slaw, potato salad, chips – and maybe some fresh fruits and vegetables — are just some staples for the weekly ritual that coincides with football season. Some will win before the games start by eating Florida-grown foods. College football enthusiasts nationwide can take comfort in tips from University of Florida …
Is it Trash or is it Organic?
Cathy Isom takes you on a trip to your landfill. She delves into the question, is it trash or is it organic? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Is it Trash or Organic? Do you really know what you’re throwing away? Sadly, statistics show that the United States is extremely wasteful and hard on the planet. When only …
U.S./China Trade Talks Draw a Blank
The trade war between China and the United States seems primed to worsen as the governments failed to make progress in two days of discussions. Reuters says the two sides met last week with low expectations of progress and there are no further talks scheduled at this time. A source close to the negotiations told Reuters that Chinese officials have …
Bayer CEO Says Monsanto Merger Still a Win-Win
Werner Baumann, Bayer Chief Executive Officer, tried to soothe the frayed nerves of investors after a recent jury award of $289 million during a trial regarding glyphosate. Baumann says the merger between Bayer and Monsanto still makes sense in spite of the challenges ahead. Baumann told a German newspaper that there is “no reason to break out in nervousness” in …
Memphis Meats, NAMI Want Joint Regulation of Cell-Based Meat
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) joined up with Memphis Meats, a San Francisco-based company that’s developing cell-based meat to send a letter to the Trump Administration. The Hagstrom Report says they’re asking that the Food and Drug Administration and the Ag Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service share regulatory responsibilities for cell-based meat. The letter says in the case …
Three More States Enter WOTUS Court Battle
Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi are asking a federal court to expedite its consideration of a nationwide injunction against the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule. A DTN report says a South Carolina court recently issued a ruling that allows the rule to go back into effect in 26 states. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion in the …
Russia Selling 2.5 Million Acres to China for Soybean Production
Soybeans were one of the first major casualties in the ever-escalating trade war between the U.S. and China. Russia is hoping to take advantage of the situation and cut deals with Chinese agribusinesses to make up for lost supply. The Washington Post says the Kremlin will offer roughly 2.5 million acres of arable land to foreign investors. Analysts are describing …
Agri View: Blueberries – An Expanding Crop
Everett Griner talks about why production of blueberries is expanding in today’s Agri View. Blueberries – An Expanding Crop Blueberries are not a major crop, but one that is growing in importance wherever it is grown. Georgia has become one of those states. A short time ago, the crop had only a few people interested. Time has made a big …
Florida’s Algae Blooms and Red Tide: Consider the Facts
The algae and red tide blooming along Florida’s coastal waterways are concerning to everyone, including those of us in agriculture. It is understandable that many Floridians are upset and are anxious for answers, but misinformation is being circulated by anti-farmer activists that erroneously points to farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee, as the cause of …