THOUGHT PIECES

Brent Lawson, AFM, Root Agricultural Advisory, Boise, ID has been awarded the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) designation from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers® (ASFMRA®).

DENVER (AP) — On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out. The tractor’s manufacturer doesn’t allow Wood to… 11 states consider ‘right to repair’ for farming equipment

IDAHO FALLS – The outcome of an irrigation lawsuit could determine whether hundreds of Idaho farmers continue to have access to the state’s water supply. The dispute, which revolves around distribution of water in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, is between participating members of the Surface Water Coalition in Magic Valley and Idaho Ground Water… Irrigators fear water will be cut off in eastern Idaho amid looming legal battle

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Armchair farming may not be here yet, but it’s getting closer. “Autonomy in agriculture isn’t as far away as you think,” says Kent Shannon, University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist. Agriculture is rapidly shifting to technology that can increase land efficiency, reduce labor shortages and streamline food production, says Shannon. Imagine… Armchair farming edges closer as industry shifts to autonomous technology

Much attention has been given to how to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. It’s not a new problem but a recurring issue, despite the efforts of many. Produce prescriptions Considered a matter of national urgency, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health was held in September to create a framework for ending hunger… Looking Ahead to 2023: Increasing consumption

Following last month’s move by Washington state officials urging the Biden administration to help remove or reduce tariffs on American apples imported to India–how are Washington apple growers and shippers feeling about it? “I applaud the effort. However, it is most likely too late to make a major or immediate impact in the volume shipping… Industry reacts to Washington asking to remove tariffs on apples to India

The California Department of Water Resources announced that snowpack levels have reached nearly 250%, the Globe reported Tuesday. Specifically, the Northern Sierra region is currently at 209% of snowpack, with the Central Sierra/Tahoe region coming in at 246%, and the Southern Sierra region, which largely feeds the Central Valley and Southern areas of the state,… Silicon Valley Has 20-40 Inches of Rain, Flooding, But Clings to ‘Severe Drought’

Old MacDonald had a farm…and it’s gonna need a bigger trophy case. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Celtics power forward Blake Griffin, Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, Islanders winger Anders Lee, and several other professional athletes have teamed up to purchase a farm in Iowa. The farm in question is 104 acres and produces corn and… Joe Burrow, Blake Griffin Team Up to Buy $5 Million Farm in Iowa

Buying a plot of land in rural America has never been so expensive. And that’s even with soaring interest rates. Rising commodity prices mean farmers made record amounts of money this year, spurring a rush for space to plant in 2023. More demand comes just as people fled to the countryside during the pandemic —… US Farmland Escapes Real Estate Slump as Prices Soar to Record

Among the many politically polarizing issues of the day is climate change. A multitude of claims — many unsubstantiated — are made by both the “doom and gloomers” as well as the deniers. Alan Rotz is an agricultural engineer with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service based in University Park, Pa. He proposes we follow the science… Climate change may boost alfalfa yields