A Texas A & M AgriLife Extension expert says southern beef producers should be planning ahead when it comes to the size of their herds, should the drought continue. Jason Banta says a shortage of forage and hay might mean producers would need to reduce their herd sizes. A plan to cull their herds could save producers money in both …
Administration Proposes ESA Changes
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries announced Thursday proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Several proposed changes deal with procedures for listing species, recovery and designating critical habitat. The agencies propose to revise the procedures for designating critical habitat by reinstating a requirement that they will first evaluate areas currently occupied by the species before …
Farm Bureau Welcomes ESA Regulatory Revisions
The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “The American Farm Bureau Federation is pleased to see the White House is prioritizing regulatory improvements to the Endangered Species Act. We look forward to reviewing the proposals in greater detail with our members and providing constructive comments to the docket. On their face, the revisions are …
Lake Okeechobee’s Green Algae Debate Rages On
The Lake Okeechobee green algae saga continues. As I suggested in a report a few days back, it appears to be becoming more and more of a political football. This week a candidate for Governor of Florida appeared at a rally of coastal and inland fishermen in Clewiston, expecting to find a supportive audience for anti-agriculture rhetoric on the topic. …
Judge Refuses to Leave Conservation Funding Case
A Leon County circuit judge this week refused a request by legislative leaders for his disqualification from a case about whether the state has properly carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment backed by environmental groups. Judge Charles Dodson issued a one-paragraph order Monday denying a motion for his disqualification. Dodson last month ruled that lawmakers had failed to properly comply …
EWP Helps Florida Landowners after Storms
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants landowners to remember that if your area does suffer damage from a natural disaster, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) can help relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windÂstorms and hurricanes. EWP Helps Florida Landowners after Storms Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Track Record Well Received …
Agri View: Farming Problems
Everett Griner talks about the difficulty of farming in today’s Agri View. Farming Problems A North Carolina hog farmer was fined $50 million dollars because of some of the displeasure of some of the people near his farm. Yet he operated under every state and federal regulation required. A community fought vigorously to stop a meat processing plant in Kansas. …
New Test Can Determine Nitrogen Levels in Soil
Nitrogen is the main nutrient added to cereal crops like corn, which makes them grow faster and stronger. But too much of a good thing could sometimes have negative outcomes. Too much nitrogen can run off with rainwater or leach through to soil and contaminate groundwater. Now, a simple, rapid and reliable test can determine the nitrogen amount in soil. …
Do NRCS Business through Conservation Client Gateway
If you have business to take care of with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), but don’t have the time to run in to their office, much of that business can be done from your home or farm office. It can all be handled through Conservation Client Gateway, their secure online portal. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan encourages farmers, ranchers and …
White House Backs Everglades Reservoir
The White House on Tuesday backed Florida’s effort to secure federal funding for a reservoir intended to move water away from Lake Okeechobee and reduce discharges that residents blame for repeated toxic algae outbreaks spreading on both coasts. The request by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for the roughly $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, approved …