The basic premise behind a bill (S. 130) pending before the United States Senate titled the “Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese To Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act” or abbreviated as the “DAIRY PRIDE Act.” is that “Only actual milk should be called milk in order to avoid misleading consumers.” “It should not be called milk because it is not milk.”

After six complete weeks of walking, the Walk Across Texas participants reported they have walked 67,235 miles!

Anyone interested in private water well management is invited to a Texas Well Owner Network training April 28 in Brenham.

The Blinn College livestock judging team was named reserve champion at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is one of the largest in the nation with almost 800 students enrolled – roughly four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state.

Last week the U.S Department of Agriculture’s latest biannual report of farm incomes painted a very bleak picture for the American farmer. In its first forecast for 2017, the USDA saw real farm cash receipts down 14% versus 2015 and 36% from the previous high set in 2012 as farm debt continued to soar and leverage surged to all-time highs.

Much has changed since 1970, when Johnnie Schroeder came to Blinn College as an instructor. But his commitment to student success has remained a constant presence in the Agricultural Sciences Department. After teaching engines, welding, engineering, and wood construction for 46 years, Schroeder announced his retirement from full-time work in December.

Competing against millions of acres of cotton, winegrowers fear federal approval of new herbicides to be used on genetically modified cotton seeds will wipe out the wine industry in the Texas High Plains.

The Austin County Extension Education Association members recently attended the District 11 Training and Planning Meeting at the Victoria County 4-H Activity Center. The representatives conducted the meeting and training.

The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus is a potential threat to the health of unborn babies in Texas and other states, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has stepped up efforts to educate the public on ways to protect themselves from this new menace, said agency entomologists. Share This Article

The Beef and Forage Committee of Austin County is encouraging beef cattle producers to turn in a sample of their hay for analysis. Share This Article

It’s been another hot week here in Austin County and I continue to receive calls from community members with oak tree problems.  I have been visiting with our Staff Forester, Daniel Lewis, and here are a few issues that we are seeing in oak trees in the area. Share This Article

The Bluebonnet Master Gardeners are pleased to present a children’s garden program for Austin County beginning on Monday, June 27 thru Friday, July 1, 2016, at the Sealy Church of Christ, 201 6th Street, Sealy, Texas.  Classes start at 8 AM each morning and finish at Noon each day. Share This Article

USDA announced a one-time, 30-day extension to the June 1 deadline for recording farm organization structures related to Actively Engaged in Farming determinations. This date is used to determine the level of interest an individual holds in a legal entity for the applicable program year. Farming operations will now have until July 1 to complete their restructuring or finalize any operational change. Share […]

Farmers and ranchers filing crop acreage reports with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and participating insurance providers approved by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) now can provide the common information from their acreage reports at one office and the information will be electronically shared with the other location.  Share This Article

The Austin County Soil and Water Conservation District is proud to present two Conservation Education Awards this year to Mr. Rod Vincent, and Mr. Jacob Diezi. Share This Article

The Austin County Soil & Water Conservation District held its 2016 Banquet of Champions on Thursday, May 19, 2016, at the Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Charles Goeke. Pastor Kevin Haug of St. John Lutheran Church, Cat Spring, gave the invocation and benediction. Share This Article

Since we are well into spring and nearly into summer, I wanted to touch on what NRCS calls Pest Management, or in other words weed control. We all want the best for our pastures, and by minimizing the mistakes or missteps, money and time can be saved. Share This Article

If your well has been flooded, you should assume that the water in it is contaminated. Do not use the well water for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing your teeth or even bathing until you are satisfied that it is not contaminated. Share This Article

UVALDE – In an effort to find what’s causing the decline of Texas wild quail populations, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists investigated whether regular ingestion of low levels of aflatoxins by bobwhite and scaled quail may impact their ability to reproduce. Share This Article

Fear that we are running out of important resources is perpetual. Oil is a favorite thing to worry about; landfill space is another, and trees yet another. I could continue listing things (coal, copper, iron ore, even tin) that people have worried would soon be exhausted, and I plan to discuss the persistent fear of resource exhaustion in future columns. […]