drought

Congress won’t pass a new farm bill prior to the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill on September 30th, the USDA lowers its forecast for total milk production this year by 400 million pounds, and low water levels are affecting ship traffic through the Panama Canal.

The complexities of The Farm Bill, low water levels in the Mississippi River once again create concern for agricultural barge traffic, the world’s biggest agribusiness corporations record record profits in the face of widespread food poverty and starvation, and U.S. wheat exports are expected to decrease to levels not seen in over 50 years.

Colorado passes a right-to-repair agricultural equipment law, how high inflation is affecting farmers and ranchers, and drought conditions continue to expand in the Four Corners Region and beyond.

Drought conditions return in the Four Corners Region after weeks of hot, dry weather, beekeepers in the United States lost over 48% of their managed honey bee colonies over the past year, and how native bees and insects play an important role in floral diversity and promote better results for fruiting.

New York may become the first state in the country to ban the use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds, Congress takes steps to prevent China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from buying U.S. farmland, drought conditions are affecting many farmers in the upper Midwest, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture begins its annual monitoring season for agricultural pests.

Record setting drought in the Texas Panhandle is creating challenges for farmers and ranchers there, grain like rice, corn, and wheat are supplying over 50% of the food calories consumed globally, cyber crime is a very real concern for U.S. agriculture, and the USDA reports that $100 million of farm income is lost annually in the U.S. due to soil erosion.

U.S. farm exports are set to decrease by 8% this year, climatologists are suggesting that the U.S. will see a shift from La Nina to El Nino conditions this summer, almost one-third of winter wheat acreage could be abandoned this year, prices for beef for grilling will be higher this summer, and a new business is using mini and micro burros to serve drinks at parties and other events.

Drought in the Southwest sees big improvement, farmland prices remain stagnant, and cattle producers are optimistic about building herds back after recent setbacks.

The Southwest is seeing an easing of drought conditions but parts of the country are still dry, farmers taking irrigation water from the Ogallala Aquifer may need a different approach, how the 1930s Dust Bowl affected soil conservation, and a look at the downside of avocado production.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a Brazilian cow leads to concerns about a global outbreak and possible impacts on human health, Argentina's agriculture exports hit hard by the worst drought of the last four decades, and queen bees for colonies used to pollinate crops in the U.S. are in high demand.