lewis

American Agriculture History Minute: Lewis and Clark Report on Agriculture West of Mississippi River

Dan American Agriculture History Minute, This Land of Ours

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Any modern traveler now retracing the steps of Merriweather Lewis and William Clark after they left the Missouri River and proceeded west would likely wonder how areas of the Dakotas, Montana and Idaho could ever be agriculturally productive. After all, President Thomas Jefferson gave specific instructions to the two that he …

tariff

Tariffs and Trade: Examining Potential Impacts on Agriculture

Dan Economy, Exports/Imports, Trade

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, questions are rising about the potential impact his administration may have on agriculture, especially in the areas of trade and tariffs. Roland Fumasi, head of RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness North America, shared insights into these possible challenges and opportunities during a recent interview. “The most tangible and likely thing right now is …

American Agriculture History

American Agriculture History Minute: Becoming Stewards of the Soil

Dan American Agriculture History Minute, Conservation, Environment, Soil, This Land of Ours

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. We like to think that early American farmers and ranchers were good stewards of the soil, like farmers and ranchers are today, but history shows they were not. From the 1770s to the 1830s, pioneers moved into new lands that stretched from Kentucky to Alabama to Texas. Most were farmers who …

florida

FDACS Highlights Agricultural Lands to be Preserved With Recently Announced Partner Funding

Dan Conservation, Environment, Florida, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), News from Our Sponsors

(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Nov. 20, 2024) — Following the Florida Conservation Group’s recent announcement of $47 million in state and federal funding to preserve active agriculture operations in the Peace River Valley region, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is highlighting four proposed agricultural conservation projects that will receive funding. These agricultural operations in Southwest Florida will be permanently preserved from future development, as …

American Agriculture

American Agriculture History Minute: Draft Horses Imported for Farm Work

Dan American Agriculture History Minute, Equine, Livestock, This Land of Ours

I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Horses and oxen provided a lot of the power on American farms until the mid -1800s. Oxen were too slow to pull some of the new machinery. Producers were using in the 1850s and 1860s. Most of the horses were fast enough, but they tired quickly. Powerful animals like the draft …

sustainable

Plant Odors Offer Hope for Sustainable Agriculture

Dan Environment, Organic

Researchers at Tokyo University of Science (TUS) have uncovered groundbreaking potential in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for sustainable pest control and enhanced crop defense. VOCs are natural chemicals plants release when stressed, such as during pest attacks. These compounds signal nearby plants to activate their defenses, forming a natural communication network. In a review published in Trends in Plant Science, …

reorganization

Speculation Starts on Next Agriculture Secretary

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative

Speculation has already begun on who the next Secretary of Agriculture will be when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Successful Farming says Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, former ambassador Kip Tom, and Ted McKinney of NASDA are among a handful of people viewed as potential nominees to run the Department of Agriculture. Incoming presidents typically try …

Election Results Set the Stage for New Priorities in Agriculture

Sabrina Halvorson General

The outcome of the 2024 General Election is set to bring significant changes to the agricultural landscape, according to at least one expert. With Donald Trump returning to the presidency, new dynamics will unfold, especially in the U.S. Senate, where pivotal shifts are already affecting the agriculture sector. That, according to Ethan Lane, Vice President of Government Affairs for the …