Celebrating an essential part of the agricultural process. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. Agronomy is defined as the science of soil management and crop production. This week, agronomy is celebrated by Dekalb, Asgrow, and Deltapine seed brands. Deltapine brand manager Kevin Lavac says it’s a week to recognize agronomists and other crop professionals who help farmers get the most …
Questions About Carbon Markets Remain
There are still a lot of questions when it comes to carbon markets. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. The international World Economic Forum is underway this week in Switzerland. More than 2,500 people are attending, including political leaders, business heads, and more. There’s a big focus this year on agriculture-related topics. University of California, San Diego, professor David Victor …
Cybersecurity on the Farm
The importance of cybersecurity on the farm. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Recent incidents with grain elevators getting hacked and companies having data held hostage calls for heightened cybersecurity as meticulous hackers request ransoms against agricultural companies. Dan Hanson with SVP Management Liability explains how cyber-attacks are a targeted avenue of opportunity. “They’re going to go to …
The Future of Food Production
What does the future of food production look like? That’s today’s This Land of Ours. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ recent whitepaper, The Future of Food Production, identifies 13 trends expected to shape food production over the next ten years. AEM President Megan Tanel says top-level trends include water issues and the needed increase in food production. “Farmers have increasingly …
Drones to Measure Methane at Dairies
More ways dairy farms are going high-tech. That’s the topic of today’s This Land of Ours. For years, the dairy industry has worked on ground-breaking ways to manage methane, which is inevitable anywhere cows are found. Methane is a result when cow manure breaks down, and it’s also a gas released from the cows’ digestive tract. Basically, cow burps, and …
Quinoa Bacteria Research
Expanding the possibilities of quinoa. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. Quinoa is increasingly popular as a high-protein, slightly nutty flavored grain-like seed that can be made into flour for bread and pasta, used in soups and cereal, eaten as a snack food, and fermented into alcoholic beverages like beer. Colorado and Nevada currently lead U.S production of quinoa, but …
Farmer Veteran Coalition Fellowship Awards
From the military to the fields. How farmer veterans, and a coalition that serves them, are working the land. That’s the topic of today’s This Land of Ours. The Farmer Veteran Coalition is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization that helps veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military create agricultural businesses. One way they do that is through the Farmer Veteran …
Combating African Swine Fever
We’ve been hearing about African Swine Fever lately. So what is it, and what’s being done about it? That’s the topic of today’s This Land of Ours. African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects every kind of swine. But, ASF is not a threat to human health or food safety. ASF spread from Africa …
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
The focus on improving the climate through agriculture continues. The first round of funding through the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities received more than 450 proposals. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity provides up to $1 billion for pilot projects that create market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices. The proposals from the first round of funding ranged from $5 million …
Farmer Mental Health Month
Protecting Farmers’ Mental Health Farming is one of the most challenging ways to make a living and can take a toll on farmers and everyone close to them. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Jessica Cabrera, American Farm Bureau managing director of member engagement, says mental health can be a difficult topic to discuss in farm country. “Farm life …