Texas Agriculture Today

*Texas wheat growers are voicing their needs for the 2023 Farm Bill.   *Registration is now underway for a free regenerative agriculture field day coming up this week.   *DairyMax is partnering with Gandy’s Dairy to install a refrigerated milk dispenser in the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center.  *Keeping good financial records for your farming operation is a vital task.  *The effects of the sum...

*Texas has the worst pasture and range conditions in the nation.    *Texas A&M is hosting a webinar to help landowners manage their property for whitetail deer.   *The prospects are dim for the Texas cotton crop that has yet to be harvested.   *Forage production is on the rise in the Texas High Plains.   *Price differences between cotton and polyester create challenges for the cotton industry....

*The Texas harvest season is moving forward.   *The State Fair of Texas is just around the corner.   *The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded a $500,000 grant to the Texas Department of Agriculture.   *Texas cattle producers will get a great price for their cattle over the next year, but risk protection may still be something to consider. *It’s important for cotton farmers to market their p...

*The push is on to pass the Texas Right to Farm constitutional amendment.   *Texas milk production went down last month.   *Cattle prices are high, but margins are still tight thanks to rising input costs.   *Beef prices are at record highs, but consumer demand is still strong.  *Keeping kids safe on the farm is one highlight of National Farm Safety and Health week.    *It is still hot and dry in...

*The first bale of cotton in the nation was auctioned off in the Rio Grande Valley for scholarships last week.   *A Texas cowboy will be recognized for his decades of hard work.   *Every sector of the cattle production chain is doing well right now.   *As harvest gets cranked up around the country, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to put safety first.   *Extreme South Texas is still dealing wit...

*The Cattlemen’s Bee f Board approved checkoff funded projects for 2024.    *Texas corn farmers can nominate fellow farmers for open board seats on the Texas Corn Producers board of directors.   *Farm groups were busy in Washington D.C. last week.  *How much is the quality of beef impacted when it’s frozen?   *This is National Farm Safety and Health Week.    *Most farmers and ranchers in East Texa...

*Texas cotton acreage is dropping.   *The drought is taking a toll on Texas pecan production.   *Winter wheat planting now underway.   *Applying fertilizer to wheat at planting can make a big difference in the crop.   *Texas pastureland values continue to climb higher.   *Coastal Bend farmers are catching up on unfinished field work.   *Hock problems are common in performance horses.  The turkey p...

*Texas sheep and goat researchers are busy with lots of projects.     *The EPA has approved stronger standards for those who use restricted use pesticides here in Texas.     *The Texas Farmer Service Agency is encouraging producers to sign up for several drought relief programs.   *Crop insurance claims on the Texas High Plains are expected to be high again this year.   *Texas crop and pastureland...

*Texas leads the nation in cotton harvest, but the condition of the cotton that is left in the field is declining.   *A Texas company is being recognized by the American Farm Bureau Federation.   *USDA increased the size of the U.S. corn crop Tuesday, making it the second largest crop in history.   *There’s been a big change in Texas High Plains weather this week.   *The soybean industry is workin...

*Washington lawmakers are looking for more money to fund the Farm Bill.   *USDA launched a new program to help dairy farmers who dumped milk over the past three years.   *The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association launched The School for Successful Ranching podcast.   *The summer crop season in the Texas High Plains is winding down.   *Texas South Plains cotton producers are feeling the...

*What does the new WOTUS rule mean for Texas?   It may be a while before we find out.   *Registration is now underway for the Texas A&M AgriLife’s annual Texas Fruit Conference.   *The American Lamb Board has launched a new website for the sheep industry.   *Lawmakers are going back to work on the Farm Bill.   *The Cattle Contracts Library Pilot Program is up and running.   *Castration of youn...

*The push to pass Proposition 1, the Texas Right to Farm amendment, is well underway.   *A new study shows that a warfarin-based toxicant can be effective in managing feral hogs.   *A summer long drought has set the stage for major wildfire potential across Texas.  *There are a variety of options for Texas High Plains cattle raisers to consider over the next couple of years.  *USDA’s latest trade...

*There are very few drought-free areas in Texas according to the latest Drought Monitor.   *Northeast Panhandle farmers are starting to plant wheat, but they could use a good rain to get it started.   *Weights of market ready lambs in Texas are declining this year.   *Looking for crops that require less water is a key focus for West Texas A&M in its efforts to strengthen animal agriculture.  ...

*Farm income will take a big drop this year as rising costs put a squeeze on farm profitability.    *Sheep and goat research in Texas is expanding with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in San Angelo looking for more personnel.  *Texas High Plains farmers needed a lot less irrigation water this spring thanks to heavy rains, but the current summer drought has had the pumps running hard. *U...

*Choosing the right wheat variety can make the difference between a good crop and a crop failure thanks to Hessian Fly populations in Central Texas.    *The Texas A&M Forest Service has funds available to help with prescribed burns.   *Deep Southeast Texas is currently one of the driest spots in the entire state. *Trying to buy high priced replacement cattle is a challenge when rebuilding a he...

*A revised Waters of the U.S. rule is out, and most ag groups are not happy with it.   *A case of anthrax was found in a place where we normally don’t find it.   *There is some very good looking corn and milo in the northeast Panhandle, but there is also some poor looking corn and milo also.   *There’s a workshop coming up that can help cattle producers make decisions on herd rebuilding.   *Agricu...

*Cattle prices will set new records next year.   *Texas sheep and goat producers reduced herds this summer.   *Cotton producers in the Concho Valley are struggling with drought and heat.   *Grazing conditions on the Texas High Plains are looking much better than they were at the beginning of the year.  *August was a very hot month, and September will continue to be hot and dry. *That hot and dry p...

*A Dallas Cowboy supports Proposition 1 on the November ballot.    *USDA is awarding a grant to a Texas university to recruit more young people into agriculture.   *Cotton harvest is wrapping up in the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend. *Are there profits to be made on this season’s crops on the Texas High Plains?   *It has been a tough summer for Texas sheep and goat producers.   *Extreme So...

*Drought is affecting the wettest part of Texas.   *The latest Texas crop and pastureland rent report is out.   *BASF's new Axant Flex technology will be available for farmers next year.   *There have been several challenges for Texas High Plains agriculture this year.   *Keeping water sources full for cattle is more important than ever.   *Itching in horses is not uncommon, but it can get bad eno...

*Much of Texas received rainfall over the past week.   *Drought is keeping cattle producers from rebuilding cow herds.   *Texas will be home to a state-of-the-art animal reproductive biology and technology.   *USDA is expanding livestock disaster payments for extreme heat and humidity.   *The Texas Beef Council plays an important role in promoting beef to consumers.   *Weed control is a big challe...

*Heat and drought have taken a toll on agriculture in the Concho Valley.   *Texas wheat growers should prepare to fight the Hessian Fly before they plant the new crop.   *The Farm Bill can be made stronger by fighting fraud.   *Managing dry cows is essential to a dairy herd health program.   *The Coastal Bend cotton harvest was interrupted by Tropical Storm Harold.   *A new test has been developed...

*Boll weevil eradication efforts continue in the Rio Grande Valley.   *Anthrax has been detected in Edwards County.   *The State of Texas Agriculture Relief or STAR fund is available to farmers and ranchers affected by wildfires.   *Fighting weeds has been a big task on the Texas High Plains this year.   *Pasture and range conditions in Texas look awful.   *This hot summer can get you thinking abo...

*A group of cotton farmers from the Mid-South and Southeastern U.S. toured the cotton industry in the Rio Grande Valley this week.   *Tropical Storm Harold brought much needed rain to the Texas Coastal Bend and the Rio Grande Valley.   *One of the biggest threats for Texas High Plains wheat growers is wheat streak mosaic virus.   *Hot weather and wildfires have been bearing down on Texas in the mo...

*Friday’s Cattle on Feed Report showed a larger than expected drop in placements.     *A fertilizer plant in Central Texas burned to the ground.     *The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association has a new Executive Secretary.   *Farmers who grow winter wheat are getting ready for a new season on the Texas High Plains.     *Row crop farmers in Central Texas are running out of storage space.     *Co...

*Texas A&M AgriLife held the 50th annual Sheep and Goat Field Day in San Angelo last weekend.     *The Texas Sheep and Goat Expo was also held last weekend.     *Pasture cropping may be a help to ranchers who need to increase their winter forage.     *Cotton farmers are encouraged to practice climate smart management as part of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.     *Some racehorses do not handle...