I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1906, Elias Ammons was president of the Colorado Cattle and Horse Growers Association, later served as governor of Colorado. George Ballantyne was general manager of the Denver Union Stockyard Company, and Fred Johnson was publisher of the record Stockman. These three men in 1906 put together what would become the …
American Agriculture History Minute: National Western Stock Show Beginning
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The National Western Stock Show in Denver began in 1906. The horse show now among the largest in the world, more than 18,000 entries. National Western Rodeo, considered one of the largest indoor rodeos and has won honors from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and additionally Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame …
Livestock Market Reports for Week Ended 05-09-2025
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia for the week ended May 9, 2025, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended May 9, 2025, receipts at 16 markets totaled 10,010 head compared to 10,746 last week and 9,509 last …
American Agriculture History Minute: Irrigation Key to Great American Desert Farming
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Agriculture in what is now Colorado began taking shape in the early 1850s. Then Rocky Mountain News founder William N. Byers passed out seeds to make his newspaper “the principal chronicle of early farming in Colorado”. By the 1870s Byers facilitated the colony of Greeley, Colorado’s first major agricultural settlement and …
American Agriculture History Minute: Early Agricultural Experiments Conducted
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In the early 1820s, after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the U.S. government decided to conduct agricultural experiments in what is now Kansas. Native Indians had long planted corn in northeast Kansas, and the government saw potential in expanding trade west of Kansas City. Records show the government sent Daniel Morgan …
American Agriculture History Minute: First Major Agricultural Settlement
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Greeley became Colorado’s first major agricultural settlement and they soon discovered there that irrigation was going to be the key to what was called the Great American Desert at that time. And by 1900, Colorado indeed led the nation in the acreage of irrigated farmland. But ever larger federal reclamation projects …
American Agriculture History Minute: Kansas Pioneer Farmers
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. At the close of the Civil War, the government offered homesteads in Kansas to Union Army veterans and more than 100,000 took advantage. Most were strong young veterans who had left their families to fight for the Union and became really the first real pioneer farmers in Kansas. The majority had …
Federal Reserve Board Meets This Week
The Federal Reserve Board meets this week. Mark Oppold looks at what the expectations are for their decision on interest rates. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary 6, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By LegislatorsJanuary 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef Education and Promotion ProgramsJanuary 23, 2026Florida Cattle Producers Proactive In …
Off-Farm Income Keeping Some Operations Afloat
For most U.S. farm households, income from off-farm jobs like teaching, driving a bus, or managing a bank branch helps keep an operation running. In 2023, an American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Market Intel Report says 23 percent of farm household income for farm families comes from farming itself, which means 77 percent of the income comes from other sources. In 2023, …
Planting Delays Continue Due to Weather Conditions
Planting delays continue in certain areas of the country due to weather conditions. Mark Oppold explains what that means for the crop and how the markets are reacting to it. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary 6, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received By LegislatorsJanuary 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef Education …










