Demand for livestock loans grew in the third quarter, boosting agricultural lending activity. However, demand for operating loans was more subdued, and total non-real estate lending remained near its average of the past decade. The Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Wednesday said the average size of loans for some livestock categories reached an all-time high and contributed to the increased …
Plan Ahead for Bountiful Pumpkin Harvest Next Year
How to plan for bountiful pumpkin harvest next year. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. While some areas in the United States may be experiencing a pumpkin shortage due to weather and shipping issues, why not plan ahead for next year and grow your own pumpkins. These members of the squash family are easy to grow in your …
GPC Continues Promoting Peanuts at Expo
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission’s (GPC) promotion of the state’s peanut crop continued this week at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. It provided executive director Don Koehler and his GPC staff the opportunity to share a few sandwiches and peanuts and educate attendees about the value and importance of one of Georgia’s top row crops. “I’ve …
Sunbelt Ag Expo a Success
By Clint Thompson The Sunbelt Ag Expo this week reinforced what executive director Chip Blalock already knew – farmers and industry leaders were ready for an in-person show. This week’s 43rd annual farm show in Moultrie, Georgia educated attendees, reunited old friends and reminded the Southeast about agriculture’s importance. The three-day event was a success. “It’s been humbling to see …
OJ May Fight Inflammation, Oxidative Stress
A new study suggests 100% orange juice (OJ) has the potential to help fight inflammation and oxidative stress in adults, paving the way for further research on the topic. Though limited in scope, the study indicates drinking 100% OJ significantly reduces interleukin 6, a well-established marker of inflammation, in both healthy and high-risk adults. Two additional inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were …
DeSantis Calls for Special Session
(Tallahassee/NSF/October 21, 2021) — Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday called for a special legislative session next month to push back against White House attempts to require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The exact dates of the special session are not yet known; however, lawmakers are scheduled to be in Tallahassee for committee meetings the weeks of November 1st, 15th …
Legislation Introduced to Provide Pricing Leverage for Cattle Producers
Wednesday, Ranking Member of the Livestock & Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Dusty Johnson (R-S.D) and Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) introduced the bipartisan Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021 (H.R. 5609), which would create a library for cattle contracts within the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service. Currently, USDA maintains a pork contract library, and following significant volatility in the cattle market and the release of the …
Bill Introduced to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease
This week, Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee Glenn “GT” Thompson and Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin introduced a bipartisan bill to combat chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD is a contagious, neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose and it is always fatal. There is no known cure for CWD and it is unclear how the disease is transmitted. …
Georgia Cattlemen’s Convention Set for Savannah in 2022
By Clint Thompson The stage is set for the 2022 Georgia Cattlemen’s Convention, which will be held on Feb. 16-18 in Savannah, Georgia. Dale Sandlin, executive vice president of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, discussed what producers can expect during next year’s convention. “Our convention planning committee has been working very hard to make sure we have our plans set up …
Recycle Those Halloween Pumpkins After the Holiday
What to do with your Halloween pumpkins after the holiday is over. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Every year, thousands of pumpkins get tossed in the trash – adding up to about 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins ending up in landfills. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But there are plenty of ways to recycle …