Agriculture

Fifty-six percent of Iowa cattle producers voted in November to create a state checkoff program that will generate up to $1.6 million annually, the Iowa Department of Agriculture said.  Producers will pay 50 cents per head of cattle to support the state checkoff. The money will be used to promote Iowa beef, fund production research, expand international markets, consumer education and other activities, the Iowa Cattlemen's Association says. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson says livestock producers can apply for a portion of $2 million in grants available for on-farm improvements, as part of the Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation Program. [node:read-more:link]

β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) is a dominant allergen present in the milk of goats and other ungulates, although it is not found in human breast milk. Thus, the presence of BLG restricts the consumption of goat’s milk by humans. In the present study, we examined whether the disruption of the BLG gene in goats by homologous recombination (HR) reduced BLG content in goat’s milk and decreased the allergic response to milk.   [We generated] two transgenic goats possessing a BLG knockout allele or site-specific hLA [human α-lactalbumin] integration allele. [node:read-more:link]

At Electrek, we firmly believe that all forms of ground transport will start to transition to electric propulsion relatively soon. That includes large tractors for agriculture, as demonstrated by John Deere’s latest all-electric tractor concept. Where you would normally find a large diesel engine under the hood, there are stacks of battery packs adding up to 130 kWh of capacity. [node:read-more:link]

Focusing on lean hog futures prices, the low this fall was on the October 2016 contract at $40.70. The previous time lean hog futures had been this low was in October of 2002. This means lean hog futures in the fall of 2016 were the lowest lead contract price in 14 years. Lean hog futures have recovered somewhat since October, with the lead contract currently trading around $50, a level that is at the lower end of the ten-year range. Cash prices also reflect these multi-year lows. [node:read-more:link]

Genetically engineered (GE) varieties of corn, soybeans, and cotton with herbicide-tolerant and/or insect-resistant traits were commercially introduced in the United States in 1996. Twenty years later, most corn, cotton, and soybean farmers use these varieties, and the impacts of adoption have been widely documented. By contrast, relatively little is known about the adoption of GE alfalfa, canola, and sugarbeets, crops that add substantial value to the U.S. agricultural sector. For instance, alfalfa is the fourth largest crop in the United States in terms of acreage and production value. [node:read-more:link]

Farmers and landowners who called on the state legislature to improve the formula for calculating the Current Agricultural Use Value for property taxes are on track for a setback. Miller said House and caucus members discussed the bill various times, but members still need more time to review the complexities of the bill and how it would affect funding for all parties.Rep. Brian Hill, R-Zanesville, and the sponsor of the House bill, said it looks like the House will try to finish up its other bills, and revisit the CAUV issue in January. [node:read-more:link]

More and more sectors in production agriculture are having a hard time finding help and the problem runs from coast to coast. Reports abound of crops left rotting in the fields because of a shortage of available labor to get out and harvest. The labor shortages aren’t just limited to crops, either. Feedlots across the country are having a hard time finding people to work with their livestock. The labor pains have gotten progressively worse in feedlots during the past decade. [node:read-more:link]

Gene editing is simply the latest development in the evolution of plant breeding, the head of the American Seed Trade Association said at ASTA's annual meeting today in Chicago, seeking to reassure consumers about the safety and efficacy of the new technique. “The farmer's constantly looking to grow more using less,” LaVigne said. [node:read-more:link]

A cow broke its neck and died last week after vandals let it and hundreds of other cows out of their pens at the Misty Meadow Farm and also vandalized the Wright Place Farm. Sometime between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., about 500 milking cows were released from their pens. Roy said those cows were discovered by the next shift of workers arriving at the farm. All told there are 1,500 cows on the farm, Roy said. One of the cows that was released fell into a drainage hole and broke its neck. [node:read-more:link]