Valley Irrigation

Valley Irrigation: A $5,000 Gamble That Changed Farming Forever

A Vision Rooted in Opportunity In 1946, entrepreneur Robert Doherty was searching for a promising business opportunity—something with long-term potential in American agriculture. He found it just west of Valley, Nebraska, where a small, modest manufacturing operation caught his attention. Recognizing its potential, Doherty made a bold move. He invested $5,000—nearly all of his savings—into what was then known as …

UF/IFAS

UF/IFAS Creates Office To Support Business Creation And Commercial Products

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating the UF/IFAS Office of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation in an effort to foster public-private partnerships and commercialization of its research. The new office will open on May 15th and according to UF/IFAS, the office will “be the commercial outreach and entrepreneurial development arm of the institute. The main …

New World Screwworm

NCBA Recommends Biosecurity Preparedness In The Event of NWS Detection

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is recommending that cattle producers refamiliarize themselves with biosecurity plans ahead of any detection of New World Screwworm and we caught up with Sigrid Johannes with NCBA to learn more. Johannes said, “From a preparation standpoint, is just familiarize yourself with your state animal health official’s resources on anything about movement requirements, but also just basic …

Hurricane Helene Relief

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Extends Application Deadline For Hurricane Helene Relief

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper has extended the application deadline for Hurricane Helene Relief and we caught up with Commissioner Harper to learn more. Commissioner Harper said, “So we announced an extension of the block grant application period strictly due to the current state of emergency that we’re under. You know, the governor issued a state of emergency for the wildfires …

hybrid corn

Garst & Hybrid Corn: From Iowa to the Cold War

The Birth of a Seed Revolution In 1931, Roswell Garst and Charlie Thomas founded the Garst and Thomas Hybrid Corn Company in Coon Rapids. Their work came at a time when American agriculture was rapidly evolving, and innovation was essential for improving crop production. The company became a major force in promoting hybrid corn—an agricultural breakthrough that offered higher yields, …

wildfires

Drought and Wildfires Impacting Southeastern States

Drought impacts have escalated in recent weeks across the southeast impacting crop planting and pasture availability. Now, wildfires have become a threat in both Georgia and Florida, with disaster declarations and burn bans put in place. Earlier this month, USDA designated 30 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas and 12 contiguous disaster counties due to drought impacts and this …

Georgia Cattlemen’s Association

Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Hosts Annual Convention at Perry This Week

The Georgia Cattlemen’s Association will be hosting their annual convention this weekend at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. We caught up with David Huddleston, President-Elect of GCA to learn more. Huddleston said, “We have set a schedule that’s very in tune to our educational matters. Like I said, within three Cattlemen’s College events, we have Curt Lacy coming in …

Agricultural

NAAA Urges Drones To Watch Out For Agricultural Aircraft

A sign of the times on today’s Bottom Line report, the National Agricultural Aviation Association is asking drone operators to be mindful of low flying aircraft this time of year. The Aviation Association says agricultural aircraft treat an estimated 140 million acres, cropland, pasture land, and timberland each year, and much of it happens this time of year. Drones share the airspace below 400 …

grain

Struggles Ahead For Grain Producers

A longtime axiom in the grain trade is follow oats. Oats knows. Well, if that’s true, there are struggles ahead for all grain producers. USDA’s March acreage report showed oat acres to be the third lowest on record, just 2.4 million acres. It would seem to follow them, fewer acres, reduced supply, that prices would be improving. July oat futures have been range …