Category Archives: Agriculture News & Information
EEA – Winter Gardening Program
The Extension Education Association of Austin County (a direct part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service) held their Winter Gardening Program about the best plants to plant during the winter season.
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Historic Midwest Blizzard Has Farmers Seeing “Massive Crop Losses…As Devastating As We’ve Ever Seen”
Many farmers in the middle of the country faced very serious delays in getting their crops planted from horrific flooding early in the year. Now, an unprecedented October blizzard that hit just before harvest time has absolutely devastated farms all across the U.S. heartland. The majority of US crops were still in the fields and in many cases has been declared a total loss. What this means for you is food prices are going to go up. Americans should begin to stock up and get prepared now, because we are facing a major shift from the ripple effect this will undoubtedly leave.
Read moreHuge Blow To US Farmers: China Heads To Argentina For Soy Meal In Landmark Deal
A new report from Reuters outlines how China has ditched US farmers for Argentina. An agreement between both countries is expected to be signed on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, describes how Argentina, the world’s biggest exporter of the animal feed, will allow China to import soy meal for the first time.
Read moreMidwest Farm Loan Repayment Issues Hit Highest Level Since 1999
A new farm survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Thursday detailed farm loans at Midwest banks are having the most repayment difficulties in 20 years. Following six years of falling farm income and rising debt levels, and the recent addition of record floods across the Farm Belt and the trade war between the US and China, a farm crisis on par to the 1980s could be imminent.
Read moreFarm Loan Delinquencies And Bankruptcies Soar, Incomes Plunge
Delinquency rates of agriculture loans have been above historical averages in the last several years as farm incomes in the Midwest and Mid-Southern states have collapsed over the previous six years. Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, has fallen 45% since a high of $123.4 billion in 2013 to about $63 billion last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Read more“It’s A Disaster Like I’ve Never Seen Before”: 2019 Could Be Worst Year Ever For US Corn Farmers
Even if the weather is ideal between now and harvest time, 2019 will just be a terrible year for farmers. The amount of corn produced in the United States this year is going to be way below expectations.
Read moreACSWCD – Banquet of Champions 2019 [VIDEO]
The Austin County Soil & Water Conservation District held their annual “Banquet of Champions” for 2019. The Conservation Rancher of the Year Award was presented to Harvey Stuessel, Jr.
Read moreWhat Would It Take To Spark A Rural/Small-Town Revival?
Recent research supports the idea that this under-the-radar migration is already under way.
Read moreBeijing Warns US Farmers May Lose Chinese Market For Good
Han Jun, the Chinese vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, says American farmers risk losing the entire Chinese market in the deepening trade war.
Read moreAmerican Soil Is Being Globalized: Nearly 30 Million Acres Of US Farmland Now Owned By Foreigners
Today nearly 30 million acres of U.S. farmland are held by foreign investors. That number has doubled in the past two decades, which is raising alarm bells in farming communities.
Read moreWill Robot Tractors Save America’s Farming Industry After It Crashes?
Agriculture automation has the potential to reshape the farming industry in the 2020s and beyond. A new analysis from Bloomberg shows robot farm equipment is becoming commercially available, which means tractors will have no cabs – able to spray, plant, plow, and weed cropland with artificial intelligence.
Read moreWhy The Banana Business Of Chiquita And Dole Is At Risk [VIDEO]
A deadly fungus is spreading from Southeast Asia and wiping out whole plantations of America’s favorite fruit: the banana. The tropical fruit’s popularity is thanks to a few pioneering entrepreneurs, who founded Chiquita under a different name over a century ago. Now, the business they built is at risk of decimation if the fungus reaches Latin America, the source of 97% of the U.S.’ banana imports.
Read more“As Many As A Million Calves Lost In Nebraska” – Beef Prices To Escalate Dramatically In Coming Months [VIDEO]
Food production is going to be well below expectations. Millions of bushels of wheat, corn and soybeans have been destroyed by the flooding so far in the Midwest, and thousands of farmers will not be able to plant crops at all this year. Livestock losses experienced will be felt for many years to come and no one is quite sure what final numbers will look like when the livestock losses for all the states affected by the flooding are tallied up. Expect food prices to escalate in the coming months.
Read moreAmerican Farm Debt Reaches 1980s Crisis Levels: Agriculture Secretary
The number of farmers filing for bankruptcy has soared to its highest level in a decade. And with high levels of debt, bankruptcies are expected to rise into the 2020s.
Read moreGulf Coast Grape Growers Field Day, February 2nd
The 27th Annual Gulf Coast Grape Growers Field Day will be held on Friday, February 1st, at the Cat Spring Ag Society building in Cat Spring.
Read moreSmall Farms and Vegetable Conference
The Horticulture Committee of Austin County would like to invite everyone to the Small Farms and Vegetable Conference.
Read more2018 Austin County Fair Results
The 2018 Austin County Fair Results are in! Here are the results of the the 2018 Austin County Fair Winners for the Home Economics Division, Hay Show and the Wine Show Results.
Read moreWashington County Tractor In Sealy Holds Annual Open House and Hay And Forage School
Washington County Tractor held their yearly open house Tuesday September 25, 2018 to show customer appreciation for their business and that they are their top priority. The event was followed up by a 2 hour New Holland Hay and Forage school.
Read moreUS Farmers Revolt: “We Don’t Want Handouts”
Farmers across the United States are pushing back against the Trump administration’s pledge to provide $12 billion in assistance to farms impacted by the ongoing trade war.
Read more“Dark Path Ahead”: Why American Farmers Dread The Trade War
While automakers – and their dealerships – are getting most of the headlines this week, the effects of the escalating trade war between Presidents Trump, Xi, and Putin are rippling across numerous US industries – directly, and indirectly. Makers of whiskey, cheese, auto parts and more are contending with the global tariff battle – but it is US farmers that appear to be suffering the most.
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