Your Ag Network

Everything you pick up at that grocery store is somehow connected back to a farmer or rancher. It is my goal to help you become more aware of where your food comes from and to empower you to use your dollar to support the American ag industry.

Welcome back to this Friday edition of Hot Barn Report. If you live anywhere in the middle part of America congratulations on surviving this week, we have almost made it. For me this week felt like a microcosm of the bigger picture in the cattle industry.

President Biden announced his proposed $5.8 trillion budget for the 2023 fiscal year. Now Congress will begin work to change, add and subtract that budget. As always it is a long and difficult road to get it passed. The President wants to increase the Department of Agriculture spending by 9%. That would give us $2.6 billion more than budgeted for this year. His priority is to fill staffing shortag...

We are starring in to a busy weekend with lots of activities right here in our little community. It looks like there are a lot of community Easter Egg hunts all around us this weekend, and our little town is no different.

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

I am ready to share another recipe and this one doesn’t even include the Holy Trinity of butter, sugar, and eggs. Yes, believe it or not, I do crank food out of my kitchen that isn’t baked or sweet. I knew you were beginning to wonder.

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

We are all trying to take it day by day and doing a lot of praying for those million dollar spring rains. But, that sunshine and warmer temps have sure made calving pleasant. My girls even say, “I wish every day could just be like today!” As long as those life sucking winds stay away.

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

While all of us can see the country of origin label on every thing in the store from bananas to our kids underwear, did you know that beef and pork are excluded from country of origin labeling laws.

If you haven’t noticed, fat cattle prices have been rather stagnant. The USDA is telling us we have record cattle on feed. So if we have an ample supply of cattle why are we continuing to import at such a healthy clip? I smell a rat!

Calving is in full swing around the country. For most areas it has been a mild winter which lends itself to getting a little more sleep. While that is surely a blessing, the hearts and minds of many farmers and ranchers are riddled with other burdens.

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

I promised you a Jones Ranch favorite today! It is loved 24 hours a day, it uses up a few of these spring eggs, and it is simple. So basically, it checks all of the boxes! Let’s get these Cherry Bars started! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Build your arsenal of tried-and-true recipes because you never know when there will be impromptu cattle working, a few extra hands for field work, or your kids will have an activity that requires calories, I mean snacks. I’m here to help.

Host Monte James interviews Paul Huffman owner of Lemmon Livestock on today's Hot Barn Report.

Any of you farm and ranch ladies out there start looking at your calendar, and seeing April 1 and your heart starts racing with pace you know you will be running and a wash of anxiety over takes you for a moment. Okay, just me.

THEE Hot Barn Report! Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!

We are rounding out National Ag Week. It is a warm and fuzzy few days when it feels like politicians and big ag gives us little people a nod and wink and says, “this ones for you.”

Today in world news, I mean beef industry news which is kinda like world news considering a big chunk of our beef packing industry is foreign owned. According to meatpoultry.com, JBS USA Beef in 2021, reported net revenue of $27.18 billion, which is up 25.3% from 2020. This news comes on the heels of Tyson boasting about their success last month in a CNBC article, “The average price for Tyson’s be...

Have you ever looked through the pages of home décor magazines and wondered, “does anyone cook in that kitchen?” I am so confused by the farmhouse kitchen trend. I mean, live in a pretty farmy and ranchy neighborhood and that is not what kitchens around here look like.

I’m going to cover some different issues today. As we all know the war in Ukraine dominates all the news. But if you were in the poultry industry, you would be very concerned about bird flu. Bird flu is deadly, and you don’t want it on your chicken farm. A Fulton County flock of 240,000 chickens had to be destroyed. Seven million chickens and turkeys in 13 states have been killed this year. Dispos...

You will just have to take my word for what I describe because it’s not like I’m every going to pour you a cup of coffee and say, “Hey, let’s go back to the laundry room and chat.” There are things you can not unsee in that room.

US Senator Mike Rounds tweets Sen Chuck Grassley his concerns on the "Compromise Bill", 50-14, fixing a broken cattle market, the war in Ukraine and National Ag Week.