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Agriculture

USDA fighting for fair, competitive, markets

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fair and competitive markets have long been the cornerstone of the American economy. Competition ensures that American farmers, ranchers, and those who grow our nation’s food have the freedom to choose among different suppliers, employers, and retailers to buy and sell their product and the products they need. It spurs innovation, improves opportunities for producers and workers, and increases resiliency in the nation’s food supply. For far too long, however, agriculture policy has been focused on ‘get big or get out’, resulting in the acceleration of ...

Farmers struggling to use less fertilizer

By Bailey Becker Columbia Missourian COLUMBIA, Mo. – As a young boy in the late 1950s, Frank Glenn knew the soft, freshly-tilled brown dirt lining his family’s fields signaled the start of another planting season. “Back when we were young buckaroos, we would plow and disc and get a crop of weeds to come up [and then] knock them down,” Glenn said. Frank and his younger brother John would hop on the tractor and start pulling their blue plow through the fields in February and March. Then they would go back with a tiller and turn over the topsoil before planting corn, ...

2023 Ag Progress Days set for Aug. 8-10 at PSU

UNIVERSITY PARK — Planning is well underway for Penn State’s 2023 Ag Progress Days exposition, which will be held Aug. 8-10 in Centre County. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences, the expo is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Rte. 45. Admission and parking are free. The core audience for the event is the agricultural community, but planned activities also have a strong appeal for home gardeners, conservationists, youth and families, woodland owners, horse enthusiasts, and anyone ...

Don’t let your outdoor meal become a feast for bacteria

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As summer approaches, millions of Americans will hit the road to visit national parks, beaches and campgrounds. While packing that sunblock, bug spray and picnic blanket, make sure to also take some U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety tips along for the ride. “USDA reminds summer travelers not to let your outdoor meal become a feast for bacteria,” USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban, said. “Bacteria grows faster during the summer months because it’s warmer and more humid. Pack perishable foods safely with a cold source and ...

47th annual Juniata County Dairy Princess Pageant

By Linda Geissinger MEXICO — The 47th annual Juniata County Dairy Princess Pageant was held on May 21, at the Walker Grange, Mexico. There is not a dairy princess in Juniata County this year, but 10 young people in the dairy court look forward to promoting the dairy industry in Juniata ...

USDA to survey cattle operations

HARRISBURG — In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories. “This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions and plan for herd expansion or reduction. It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export,” King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office, said. “Obtaining the current count of ...