Farmers and water managers may soon have an online tool to help them assess drought and irrigation impacts on water use and crop development, thanks to the work of two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists....More

John Koski is itching to pick up his rifle after losing dozens of cows to hungry wolves on his farm in Michigan's Upper Peninsula — and it appears he'll soon get his chance. A legal shield that has protected gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region for nearly four decades has now disappeared, as the animal is no longer on the federal endangered species list. With that milestone, a primal struggle that was waged in this rugged backcountry for more than a century will resume, although in a more restrained fashion....More

Drought and high temperatures in the Southern Plains have combined to literally bake the forage and a passel of cattle right off the land in that important part of cattle country. By some predictions, a year-to-year decline in cow numbers of as much as 12-13% is forecast for both Texas and Oklahoma come Jan. 1, 2012....More

Cooler temperatures in recent weeks and rains in some parts that haven’t seen any substantial rainfall in a year or so have lifted hopes in the driest parts of the nation....More