Jessie Shambaugh

Jessie Shambaugh and the Early Roots of 4-H

A Farm Wife Helping Shape Agricultural Youth Education The history of 4-H can be traced to the efforts of people who believed young Americans should have meaningful opportunities to learn about agriculture and develop practical skills. Among those early contributors was Jessie Shambaugh, a farm wife who became active in her community and dedicated herself to helping young boys and …

aca youth

ACA Youth Proudly Represent AL at National Youth Cattle Working Contest

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association is celebrating their youth who proudly represented their state at the National Youth Cattle Working Contest. Bailey Watson with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association told us more. “So last week our state winning team from Alabama, who was actually the first team to represent Alabama as this was our first year having the Youth Cattle Working Contest, …

Beef cattle prices

Estimates of Beef Cattle Prices for Remainder of Year

Eyes are on beef cattle prices for the rest of this year and into the next. Chief Economist Justin Benevidez shares what he gathers from data when considering individual and national herd retention. “As far as whether or not the herd is going to grow into next year, I’m of the mind that it will, and I’ll caveat that with …

peanut crop

Peanut Crop Updates

USDA’s Ag Statistics Service reports the peanut crop as being about seven percent excellent, 51 good, 32 fair, and eight poor. The whole harvest is only 12 percent harvested so far. Their five-year average is only 13. In Georgia, the biggest news is that they’re getting pretty dry. According to Scott Munford, the peanut specialist, he says that the leaf …

NWS Fly

First Captured Wild NWS Fly

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a post on X from the New World Screwworm Rapid Response account confirmed the first captured wild New World Screwworm (NWS) fly. This fly was caught in a trap located in Brewster County, Texas. The post also describes NWS combat strategies, saying, “Our surveillance system is working, using targeted fly traps, animal checks, …

ARC and PLC

ARC and PLC Program Updates

Well agricultural producers can now begin enrolling in the Agricultural Risk Coverage Program or ARC and the PLC Price Loss Coverage Program. USDA says they have applied 30 million new base acres to all the farms and now you can start planting your individual farm. Producers can now change your election and enroll in ARC, or you can enroll in …

World Forage Super Bowl

World Forage Super Bowl Competition

The winner of the Super Bowl will be announced tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s the 42nd year of the World Forage Super Bowl competition, all part of the World Dairy Expo that kicks off today in Madison. Over 230 entries, some from this area, sent samples of hay in August. They were tested, analyzed, and scored. Nearly $30,000 in prize …

Smith-Lever Act

4-H Roots Trace Back to the Smith-Lever Act of 1914

Cooperative Extension Service Helped Shape Rural America The roots of one of America’s best-known youth agricultural organizations can be traced back to legislation passed more than a century ago. In this edition of the American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 helped establish the Cooperative Extension Service and ultimately played a key role in …

FFVA Convention Brings Florida Agriculture Together for Leadership, Insight and Connection

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s 82nd Annual Convention brought growers and agricultural leaders together in Naples for three days focused not only on the issues facing Florida agriculture today, but also on preparing industry leaders for what comes next. From federal policy and geopolitical developments to consumer trends and leadership, this year’s convention tackled issues that can have a …

Farm Bill 2.0

Chairman Boozman Shares thoughts on Farm Bill 2.0

U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman recently made further comments on the Farm Bill 2.0 passing and its importance in the agriculture industry. Senator Boozman said, “Our farmers played a major part in helping us get this over the line and out of committee, and we’re going to rely on them once the election is …