More in Environment

Mar. 28, 2012

blog

Consider Ecological Functions To Better Manage Grazing

I believe in “good grazing” or grazing management as a way to be more efficient and more profitable. For me, the topic is much broader than most of us consider when we think of grazing....More
Mar. 27, 2012

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M/M Feedlot Composts To Solve Expansion Dilemma

When Darin Mann decided his future lay with the family feeding and farming operation in Parma, ID, he and his father Kent knew M/M Feedlot had to expand. One big challenge was how to dispose of the manure produced by an additional 4,000 head. Their resolution wasn’t more land, it was less manure – via composting. Read the complete feature on the Manns here.
Mar. 12, 2012

Article

USDA’s Agricultural Projection Through 2021

U.S. retail food prices rose faster than the general inflation rate in 2011 and are projected to do so again in 2012, says USDA in its recently released USDA Agricultural Projections to 2021. These baseline projections offer a glimpse into what is likely to happen to the prices we pay at the supermarket....More
Mar. 12, 2012

Article

USDA And Interior Announce Wildlife Conservation Efforts To Support Local Economies, Preserve Ranch Traditions 2

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar have announced a new $33-million partnership with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to use innovative approaches to restore and protect the habitats for wildlife, including seven at-risk species and other vulnerable game species....More
Feb. 28, 2012

Article

Colorado Rancher Utilizes Holistic Management Concepts 1

When Duke Phillips dismounts his horse to inspect his grasslands, he’s searching for more than tall, green forage on the 87,000 acres that comprise the Zapata and Chico Basin ranches outside Colorado Springs, CO. He’s looking to confirm that his grazing practices harmonize with the ecosystem....More
Feb. 23, 2012

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Sustainability Has A Whole Lot Of Meanings 4

There were a couple of big announcements recently. First, McDonald’s announced it is looking at phasing out the use of gestation stalls among its pork suppliers. And, a host of big players in the meat business – among them, JBS, Cargill, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and others – announced that they, along with groups like the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy, were forming a non-profit organization – the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) Learn more at www.sustainablelivestock.org....More
Feb. 23, 2012

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I Am Angus | Dr. Jude Capper, Washington State University

In this "I Am Angus" segment, produced by the American Angus Association, Dr. Jude Capper of Washington State University discusses how the U.S. beef industry has made great strides in improving efficiency but also reducing its impact on the environment. For more information, visit www.angus.org....More
Feb. 23, 2012

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I Am Angus | Dan Dagget, Author & Environmentalist

In this "I Am Angus" segment, produced by the American Angus Association, Dan Dagget discusses the important role that people and livestock play in protecting and restoring health to the world's ecosystems. For more information, visit www.angus.org or www.dandagget.com....More
Feb. 20, 2012

Article

Self-Assessment Air Quality Awareness Tool Available To Livestock Producers

Livestock producers can now make sure they are doing their best to minimize air emissions with a new self-assessment tool developed by a team of researchers and Extension specialists from across the U.S....More
Feb. 15, 2012

Article

Obama Reiterates Call For Farm Subsidy Cuts 2

President Barack Obama proposed slashing subsidies to the booming agriculture sector by $32 billion over the next decade, just as Congress begins the lengthy process of overhauling the expiring U.S. farm law....More
Feb. 14, 2012

Article

Latest Mythcrushers Installment Addresses Misperception Of Environmental Impact Of Larger Modern Cattle Operations

The American Meat Institute (AMI), in conjunction with the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), today launched the fifth installment of seven new myth-crushing videos. The new video aims to set the record straight about myths associated with the environmental impact of large modern cattle operations....More
Jan. 27, 2012

Article

Livestock Groups Find US Forest Service Planning Rule Unworkable

The Public Lands Council (PLC), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service ignored concerns...More
Jan. 24, 2012

Article

Environmental Training Session For Operators Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Will Be Held Feb. 23 In Huron, SD

An environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, is set for Feb. 23 in Huron. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Crossroads Convention Center, 100 Fourth St. S.W. in Huron. The cost is $50 and includes lunch, breaks, and training materials. The program begins at 8:50 a.m. and concludes at approximately 4:45 p.m. To register for the training, call Candy Willms at (605) 688-5141....More
Jan. 18, 2012

Article

Conserving Water In The Texas High Plains

Agriculture in the Texas High Plains, a $20-billion-per-year industry, is facing a water crisis. Between extreme drought and overpumping, the Ogallala aquifer, the region's only source of irrigation water, is shrinking and the region's dominant, water-intensive corn and cotton monocultures face an uncertain future. Watch the video now at www.sare.org/tawc....More
Jan. 12, 2012

Article

Six Ranches Vie For National Environmentalism Award

Six diverse cattle operations, regional honorees of the 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award (ESA), will compete for the national award presented at the national cattle industry’s winter meeting in Nashville, TN....More
Jan. 11, 2012

Article

2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign Up Extended

CSP offers technical and financial assistance to farmers for adopting and maintaining high standards of resource conservation and environmental stewardship....More
Dec. 30, 2011

blog

A Mini-Controversy Brews In Nebraska

It began this month when Nebraska’s Attorney General Jon Bruning made a controversial grant. The $100,000 grant went to a group that is a strong advocate for agriculture and is called We Support Agriculture. This group was created by the Nebraska Farm Bureau (FB)....More
Dec. 27, 2011

Article

Interior Moves To Delist Gray Wolf, But For How Long?

U.S. Secretary of the Interior (SOI) Ken Salazar this week announced that gray wolf populations in the Great Lakes region have recovered and no longer require Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection....More
Dec. 12, 2011

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Farm Bill Conservation Programs Threatened By Anticipated Budget Cuts

On Oct. 17, a massive dust storm hit Lubbock, TX, adding to already significant agricultural and environmental devastation across the South this year....More
Nov. 1, 2011

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Winter 2012 Will Be Much Like Winter 2011

“We may have a repeat or a near-repeat of last winter about everywhere in the U.S., although perhaps not as extreme,” says Elwynn Taylor, Iowa State University professor of agricultural meteorology....More
Oct. 28, 2011

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Endangered Species Listings Expected To Heat Up

It’s a case of a list that doesn’t exist, and a lawsuit that most certainly does. And that juxtaposition of elements has Texas Comptroller Susan Combs frustrated....More
Oct. 21, 2011

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EPA To Postpone SPCC Rule

This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will propose to amend the date by which farms must prepare or amend and implement a Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan to May 10, 2013. Originally, the EPA deadline for farms and ranches to develop and implement a SPCC was Nov. 10, 2011....More
Oct. 14, 2011

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Modern Beef Production Is “Green”

“I’m absolutely not anti-grass-fed beef. There is a place for every single kind of system: grass-fed, grain-fed, local, organic and so on,” Jude Capper, Washington State University animal scientist told the recent Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Annual Conference. “What I am ‘anti’ is mis-marketing and the perceptions that are passed on to the consumer about what is and isn’t environmentally friendly....More
Sep. 1, 2011

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Seven Tips For Ranching Success

Whether you have 100 cows or numbers akin to the King Ranch in Texas or the Deseret operation in Florida, there’s a lot of responsibility in running cattle. “And there are at least seven things every rancher should know if profit potential is your main goal,” says Rick Machen, Texas AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist...More
Aug. 3, 2011

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Top Cattle Operations Honored For Environmental Stewardship

At the 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Kissimmee, FL, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) recognized six U.S. cattle operations for their commitment to sustaining their family operations by conserving land, resources and wildlife through the Environmental Stewardship Award Program....More