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Rains jump-start cotton planting, but deep subsoil moisture critical in some areas   | colsta_bry_txbz,
Rains jump-start cotton planting, but deep subsoil moisture critical in some areas
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—The forecast for Texas cotton remains mixed, depending upon which part of the state you’re talking about,  said Gaylon Morgan, associate professor and Texas AgriLife Extension Service state cotton specialist, College Station.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

New black sorghum line developed by Texas AgriLife Research   | colsta_bry, sorghum, black sorghum,
New black sorghum line developed by Texas AgriLife Research

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – A Texas AgriLife Research scientist said there’s potential for a  black grain sorghum hybrid targeting the health-food market.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Cattle Still Healthy Despite Budget Cuts to Health Commission | aust_txbz, Burnett, cattle, Texas, TerryHensley,
Texas Cattle Still Healthy Despite Budget Cuts to Health Commission

 The job of keeping Texas’ cattle industry healthy and vibrant just got more difficult. In the past year, ranchers and state veterinary authorities have battled the worst drought in decades only to absorb massive a cutback in state funds to fight disease and maintain livestock health.

 Full Story »
David Barer For Reporting Texas

State climatologist: East Texas in surprisingly good condition   | colsta_bry_txbz, weeds, Drought,
State climatologist: East Texas in surprisingly good condition

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—What’s surprising in early May is not that West Texas is so dry, but that the eastern half of the state is in relatively good condition, said John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist and regents professor at Texas A&M University.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Horizon Milling to invest in Saginaw facility

Texas Business reports: SAGINAW, Texas—Horizon Milling will invest in its Saginaw flour milling facility, the largest flour mill in Texas, to enhance milling efficiencies and capabilities.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

The ‘D-word’ is being whispered in parts of the state, shouted in others   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
The ‘D-word’ is being whispered in parts of the state, shouted in others

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Though the overall percentage of the state is under moderate to extreme drought has continually dropped since September 2011, producers are beginning to worry that 2012 could be a repeat performance, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Cool-season grasses too much of a good thing for summer forages?   | colsta_bry_txbz, crop report,
Cool-season grasses too much of a good thing for summer forages?

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION—Though large areas of Texas still remain stricken, the number of counties under drought conditions continued to shrink, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports and the U.S. Drought Monitor. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rains wreak havoc on South Texas onion crop   | brn_har_txbz, elp_txbz, lar_txbz,  mca_edi_miss_txbz, onions,
Rains wreak havoc on South Texas onion crop

Texas Business reports: WESLACO  –  The late March storm that pelted McAllen with hail and most of the Lower Rio Grande Valley with rain also turned the area’s onion crop on its head, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Cattle on Feed Report: After Last Year's Drought

Texas Business reports: Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Texas feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 2.78 million head on April 1, up slightly from a year ago.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Good forage grows ‘bittersweet’ situation for ranchers   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,
dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,
mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz,
wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Good forage grows ‘bittersweet’ situation for ranchers

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Many livestock producers continue to make hay while the sun shines, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports.

With rains and warmer-than-average weather, cool-season grasses and small grains continued to show rapid growth, according to the reports. Producers throughout the state were taking advantage of the situation to bale as much as they could and rebuild hay supplies depleted in the 2011 drought.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

And You Thought It Was Just ‘Pink’ Slime
So-called "pink slime" has taken hold of the popular imagination, but it isn't new -- or alone. Here's how it stacks up against two other mechanical processes. Full Story »
Lena Groeger for ProPublica

New tax code change qualifies beekeeping as agricultural use in land appraisals

Texas Business reports: SAN ANGELO – The new tax code change that now qualifies beekeeping as an agricultural use enterprise in Texas open-space land appraisals has generated a lot of interest, said Chris Sansone, Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist in San Angelo.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Wheat better than anyone dared hoped in some areas   | colsta_bry_txbz, wheat, David Drake, abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz,
Wheat better than anyone dared hoped in some areas

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — Much of Texas wheat looks better than anyone expected a few months ago, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rain accompanies unseasonably warm spring temperatures   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Rain accompanies unseasonably warm spring temperatures

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—Rain continued to push back the Texas drought, with most of the northeastern, central, southeastern and eastern parts of the state either out of the drought or merely abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor status report last week.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Spinach genes may stop deadly citrus disease   | brn_har_txbz, elp_txbz, lar_txbz,  mca_edi_miss_txbz, spinach, Popeye,
Spinach genes may stop deadly citrus disease

Texas Business reports: WESLACO  –  Citrus growers worldwide who currently have no cure for a devastating, tree-killing disease may soon find relief from an unlikely source: spinach. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Agriculture: It’s a mixed bag   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Texas Agriculture: It’s a mixed bag

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Many parts of the state continued to receive heavy rains, bringing them completely out of the drought.

Other areas were not so fortunate, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Lunkers in the Bunker Put Texas at the Epicenter of Big Bass Fishing   | tyl_txbz,
Lunkers in the Bunker Put Texas at the Epicenter of Big Bass Fishing

It all began with Ethel, a largemouth bass so famous that when she died at 19 years of age 1,500 people attended her funeral. She was named after the ornery mother-in-law of the angler who caught her in Lake Fork, Texas, and now her legacy lives on through America’s first, and most successful, bass-breeding program.

 Full Story »
By David Barer For Reporting Texas

2011 Texas agricultural drought losses total $7.62 billion   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz,wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
2011 Texas agricultural drought losses total $7.62 billion
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Texas agricultural losses due to the 2011 drought reached a record $7.62 billion, making it the most costly drought in history, according to updated totals by Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists.  Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

TCU Profs Discover Huge East Texas Mercury Contamination

Texas Business reports: Two TCU professors have have discovered a 64,000-square-kilometer area, or roughly the size of West Virginia, in East Texas with high concentrations of toxic mercury.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rain, rain, rain and weeds, weeds, weeds   | colsta_bry_txbz, drought, rain, weeds,
Rain, rain, rain and weeds, weeds, weeds

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – More rain came to most of Texas, improving drought-damaged pastures and rangeland, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas weather, world supply and demand key factors affecting cotton market   | colsta_bry_txbz, cotton, John Robinson, drought,
Texas weather, world supply and demand key factors affecting cotton market

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – The fate for cotton prices this year will rely on traditional factors such as supply and demand, but the wild card is the outcome of Texas weather as the effects of the 2011 drought linger, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Continued Lack of Rain Forces Suspension of Operations at Dundee Fish Hatchery

Texas Business reports:  ATHENS—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials announced that operations at the Dundee State Fish Hatchery near Wichita Falls are suspended effective immediately due to a lack of sufficient water.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought-stricken areas continue to shrink | colsta_bry_txbz, crop report, Texas,
Drought-stricken areas continue to shrink

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Rains continued to improve forages and the outlook for spring planting in many areas, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Dundee Fish Hatchery May Close Due to Drought | wicfal_txbz, Dundee, Archer County, drought, bass, fish, fishing,
Dundee Fish Hatchery May Close Due to Drought

Texas Business reports: ATHENS—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) may temporarily close the Dundee Fish Hatchery near Wichita Falls during the upcoming production season due to a declining water supply.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rains green things up, but hay, grazing still in short supply   | colsta_bry_txbz, crops, hay,
Rains green things up, but hay, grazing still in short supply

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Most of the state received rain the third week of February, further greening up pastures and winter wheat, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas A&M researchers unlock Quarter Horse genome | genome, Quarter Horse, TAMU, colsta_bry_txbz,
Texas A&M researchers unlock Quarter Horse genome

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – In a study recently reported in the journal BMC Genomics, researchers at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, working with collaborators in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Texas AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Center, have sequenced the first Quarter Horse genome – helping unlock the secrets of what makes this breed so unique.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought Takes Toll On Urban Forests

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION, Texas — An estimated 5.6 million trees that once shaded homes, streets and parks in communities across Texas now are dead as a result of last year’s unrelenting drought.  

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Diseased South Texas citrus trees destroyed   | mca_edi_miss_txbz
Diseased South Texas citrus trees destroyed

Texas Business reports:  McALLEN —  A total of 14 citrus trees infected with citrus greening disease have been destroyed, leaving experts hopeful that the destructive plant disease can be contained.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Red Tide Warning Partially Lifted For Galveston Bay Area

Texas Business reports: A large portion of Galveston Bay is now open to the harvesting of oysters and other molluscan shellfish after DSHS testing in those areas shows shellfish are safe to consume. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Good rains, but mild weather could put a 'chill' on fruit production   | colsta_bry_txbz, peaches, fruit, weather,
Good rains, but mild weather could put a 'chill' on fruit production

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Recent rains greatly improved soil-moisture levels in many parts of the state, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service county agents.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Tech Wins $690,000 To Improve Beef Safety

Texas Business reports: A team of Texas Tech University researchers were awarded $540,000 from the US Department of Agriculture and an additional $150,000 matching funds from the Beef Checkoff program to research and provide solutions for Salmonella in cattle.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought may mean more dryland cotton in Texas High Plains   | colsta_txbz, cotton, drought, dry,
Drought may mean more dryland cotton in Texas High Plains

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Ironically, fears of another drought may result in fewer irrigated and more dryland cotton acres in the Texas High Plains this year, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Research aimed at corn production with limited irrigation   | amar_txbz, corn, Quingwu Xue, Brett Bean,

Research aimed at corn production with limited irrigation

Texas Business reports: AMARILLO – As the water goes, so goes agricultural production, especially corn production in the Texas High Plains. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Conditions mixed as farmers mull spring planting   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Conditions mixed as farmers mull spring planting

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Thanks to rains, more of Texas transitioned from exceptional to extreme drought, or from severe to moderate, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Tech Swine Study Results Could Save Industry $10M Annually

Texas Business reports:  Researchers at Texas Tech University and Iowa State University found that the pork industry can generally use less bedding year-round than it currently does when transporting swine.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought Damage Trickles Down

 

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—Farmers, ranchers and service businesses that support them are suffering the negative effects of the drought.

 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rain greens up winter crops and slows herd reductions  | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Rain greens up winter crops and slows herd reductions

 Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Many areas received rain, but the general consensus from weekly reports by Texas AgriLife Extension Service county agents was that more is needed to keep wheat and winter pastures going.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Cotton: Sell It Now | colsta_bry_txbz, John Robinson, cotton harvest, cotton economy, economy,

"If you’ve got cotton now, I sure wouldn’t hold it a long period of time," said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service cotton marketing expert. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Whit Weems)
Cotton: Sell It Now
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – A Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist advised Texas cotton producers to consider selling sooner rather than later – assuming they have a decent offer.  Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Fire ants ‘aphid-ranching’ skills may be key to their successful U.S. invasion

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—Like Old West cattle barons in a B-western, red imported fire ants are expanding their range and increasing their herds while laying wholesale waste to the range, according to an expert on the issue.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Giant shrimp invading Gulf of Mexico   | corp_chr_txbz, brn_har_txbz, black tiger shrip, Tony Reisinger,
Giant shrimp invading Gulf of Mexico

Texas Business reports: SOUTH PADRE ISLAND—An exotic, large species of shrimp is being found once again in the Gulf of Mexico and posing a potential threat to the $700 million Gulf shrimping industry, according to Tony Reisinger, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for coastal and marine resources in South Texas.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Hundreds of Millions Of Texas Trees Killed By 2011 Drought

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION—As many as 500 million trees scattered across the Lone Star State have died this year as a result of the unrelenting drought, according to preliminary estimates from Texas Forest Service.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Crazy ants making tracks through South Central Texas   | aust_txbz, Caribbean, Rasberry, crazy ants, entomology, entomologist,

Crazy Raspberry Ant
Crazy ants making tracks through South Central Texas

Texas Business reports: AUSTIN—Travis County is one of the most recent areas of Texas to be invaded by crazies – in this case, Caribbean or Rasberry crazy ants, said entomologists with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rose torture: severe heat in Texas yields better varieties for research
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — At least one person admits that the extreme heat in Texas this year was beneficial. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

One sample grain-testing program to bring consistency to marketplace

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – A new grain-testing program administered by the Office of the Texas State Chemist will bring consistency to the marketplace in light of aflatoxin issues over the past few years, according to its director. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rains help, but most of state still under severe to exceptional drought | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Rains help, but most of state still under severe to exceptional drought

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Cold fronts brought rain, from a trace to 2 inches or more, to much of the state during the last week, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Who You Gonna Call? The County Trapper

The equivalent of a superhero for farmers and ranchers in Williamson County wears camouflage fatigues and boots. He’s a man who would rather be outside checking traps than inside shuffling paperwork. And by doing what he loves, he saves tens of thousands of dollars for Texas agriculture every year. 

 Full Story »
By Abbey Adkison For Reporting Texas

Rain good Thanksgiving gift for winter pasture growers   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Rain good Thanksgiving gift for winter pasture growers

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — Rain came to large parts of Texas, an early Thanksgiving feast for already planted winter pastures, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Fed cattle prices reach ‘unprecedented’ highs as drought continues   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

Though seasonal ups-and-downs are to be expected, fed-cattle prices are being driven to unprecedented levels by several factors this year. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kay Ledbetter)
Fed cattle prices reach ‘unprecedented’ highs as drought continues

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Fueled by declining beef production due to the drought and booming exports, fed-cattle prices soared to “unprecedented” levels, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Flowers go techno at Texas A&M’s floral design school   | colsta_bry_txbz, Bill McKinley,

Bill McKinley, director of the Benz School of Floral Design, demonstrates how florist can use free video chat systems to view flowers at wholesale outlets before purchasing. (AgriLife Communication photo by Mark Cornelius)
Flowers go techno at Texas A&M’s floral design school

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Of all the contagious things in the world, there is one people don’t want to avoid – flowers.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Fort Hood uses reclaimed water for golf course in drought | kil_tem_fth, Fort Hood, golf course, drought, water, military,

Fort Hood works to construct a green pump house with 13,000 feet of pipeline from a lake within the cantonment to the golf course irrigation system.
Fort Hood uses reclaimed water for golf course in drought

Texas Business reports:  FORT HOOD—Even when Texas is not in the midst of a drought, to  water a military golf course, costs money.  A great amount of money.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rains come too late for rangeland, but a boon for winter wheat/pastures   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

November rains came too late for most Texas rangeland, such as this stretch in Schleicher County, south of San Angelo, where the only things left growing are cacti and mesquite. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Charles Hart)
Rains come too late for rangeland, but a boon for winter wheat/pastures

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Large swathes of the state received rain, from slow drizzles to heavy downpours, but the moisture came too late this year for most rangeland, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Cottonseed prices nearly double as its demand for livestock feed soars   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

With hay scarce and supplemental feeds expensive because of the drought, the demand for cottonseed has pushed prices up to nearly twice what they would be in a normal year, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts. (Texas AgriLife Extension S
Cottonseed prices nearly double as its demand for livestock feed soars
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – With cotton production down and the need for supplemental feeds high, cottonseed prices are nearly double that of an average year, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Failed cotton due to drought presents management concerns for follow-up crops   | bil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

Cotton regrowth such as this will have to be a part of producer's management plans as they prepare for their next crop. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Gaylon Morgan)
Failed cotton due to drought presents management concerns for follow-up crops

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Drought made it hard to grow cotton this year, but it is also making it hard to kill the cotton in preparation for wheat or other follow-up crops, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Strip-till, legume-cover crop system could help South Texas growers   | corp_chr_txbz, Beeville, legume,

Jamie Foster, a Texas AgriLife Research forage agronomist in Beeville, holds one of many legumes to be tested for use in South Texas. (AgriLife Research photo by Rod Santa Ana)
Strip-till, legume-cover crop system could help South Texas growers

Texas Business reports:  BEEVILLE  –  Two years ago, when Dr. Jamie Foster was moving from Florida to become a Texas AgriLife Research forage agronomist in South Texas, her job almost hit her in the face, literally.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Tech Gets Marketing Grant to Assist Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

Texas Business reports:  A group of Texas Tech University researchers is part of a larger compilation of institutions receiving a grant to help beginning farmers and ranchers market their products and businesses.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas cattle producers exploring option of feeding whole cotton plants   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Texas cattle producers exploring option of feeding whole cotton plants

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Texas beef producers are exploring the use of whole cotton plants as a protein source for cattle due to extreme drought conditions, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Oyster Harvesting Closed Along Texas Coast

Texas Business reports: The Texas Department of State Health Services announced that oyster harvesting in all Texas coastal waters is closed due to red tide, an algal bloom of Karenia brevis.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

AgriLife Economist: Don't blame current higher gasoline prices on corn and ethanol | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,
dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,
mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz,
wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

This ethanol plant near Levelland, west of Lubbock, has the capacity to produce 40 million gallons annually. The plant is currently shut down due to high commodity prices. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Bridget Guerrero)
AgriLife Economist: Don't blame current higher gasoline prices on corn and ethanol
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Feeling pain again at the gasoline pump? Don’t blame it on corn and the cost of ethanol. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas agriculture stakeholders prepare for federal farm program cuts

Texas Business reports:  AUSTIN – Texas agriculture stakeholders are bracing for cuts in federal farm programs as part of the 2012 Farm Bill, but there’s overwhelming consensus for continuation of support programs to protect against multi-year price declines, unforeseen weather events and rising input costs, according to industry representatives.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Totally Green Delivers ORCA Green Machines to U.S. Army Installation in Fort Hood, Texas

Texas Business reports:  FORT HOOD—Totally Green Inc., a provider of organic food processing systems and compostable packaging alternatives, installed two of its revolutionary ORCA Green Machines at the U.S. Army base in Fort Hood.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rain helps, but exceptional drought still the rule | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

A farm crew worker at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton disks a Bermuda grass field in preparation for planting winter forages. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Rain helps, but exceptional drought still the rule

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Nearly all of the state received rain during the last two weeks, but even where the rains were substantial, the drought was far from over, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Heat, Drought, Fire: Not a Good Year for Christmas Trees
ELGIN — Beth and Mike Walterscheidt are among the lucky ones. They have a drip irrigation system at their Christmas tree farm near this Central Texas town, so despite the drought they’ll have trees to sell this holiday season. Still, Beth said they expect to sell only about 500, half of the 1,000 they normally offer at Christmas. Full Story »
By Abbey Adkison For Reporting Texas

In Dry San Angelo, Water Lilies of the World   | sanang_txbz, water lilies, Ken Landon,

Ken Landon's water lily collection is the wettest thing around San Angelo these days. Photo by Ryland Barton.
In Dry San Angelo, Water Lilies of the World

SAN ANGELO —Ken Landon travels to far-flung jungles, rescuing water lilies from obscurity.

 Full Story »
By Ryland Barton For Reporting Texas

Texas Drought Prompts Fish Rescue | dal_ftw_txbz, aust_txbz, wac__txbz, abil_txbz, lub_txbz, Brazos River, drought,
Texas Drought Prompts Fish Rescue
AUSTIN — Wildlife biologists have rescued nearly 3,000 sharpnose and smalleye shiners from the Brazos River, the only place they are known to exist, in a bid to save the fish from extinction during the Central Texas drought. Full Story »
By Eva Hershaw For Reporting Texas

AgriLife agronomist: Stock for drought and plan for opportunities   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,
dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,
mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz,
wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

What's remarkable about this Washington County pasture, located about 75 miles northwest of Houston, is that there isn't any pasture whatsoever, not even stubble. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Travis Miller)
AgriLife agronomist: Stock for drought and plan for opportunities
Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Though large parts of Central and South Texas received substantial rains, producers should be careful about planning as if the drought were over, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

High Plains takes over as leader in Texas dairy industry   | amar_txbz, lub_txbz, dal_ftw_txbz, wac_txbz

The High Plains has taken the lead in Texas dairy production in the past month. (Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kay Ledbetter)
High Plains takes over as leader in Texas dairy industry

Texas Business reports:  DALLAS – A new leader of Texas’ $1.5 billion dairy industry has emerged. Castro County displaced Erath County as the No. 1 milk producing county in the state in August, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist said.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Homecoming Mums the Size of Texas

An oversized homecoming mum, worn by Claire Adkison.
Homecoming Mums the Size of Texas

AUSTIN — What has two cowbells, 12 jingle bells, two miniature Barbie dolls, lights up and sings “Jesus Loves Me?” That would be the homecoming mum that Stephanie Tamburello made for her son’s date this year.

 Full Story »
By Abbey Adkison For Reporting Texas

Cooped: Community, Tension and Chickens in the Heart of Texas | aust_txbz, wac_txbz, Jewett, chicken farm, chicken coop,

These 48-day-old chickens at a broiler house near Normangee, Texas, will head for slaughter and the dinner table in two or three days. Photo by Eva Hershaw.
Cooped: Community, Tension and Chickens in the Heart of Texas
As Grower A turned on the lights, 28,000 chickens ascended in a frenzy of feathers and dust. Making his rounds earlier that morning, he had collected the carcasses of 25 birds. “In a normal batch, I’ll lose 300 to 500,” he said, pointing to the clipboard where he tallies the dead. Among his many duties as a contracted grower, reporting chicken deaths to an inspector from the parent company has become a point of contention in recent months. Full Story »
Eva Hershaw For Reporting Texas

State Climatologist: 'Very likely' that drought will last into 2012 – or longer   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz, dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz,mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

A period of frequent Texas drought might "last another 15 or 20 years. It seems likely to last another decade," said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
State Climatologist: 'Very likely' that drought will last into 2012 – or longer

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION –Another year of drought, or even five to ten years more drought?  The first is highly likely, and the second, though harder to predict, a strong possibility, according to John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Terrible News: Texas Drought Could Last Until 2020

Texas Business reports:  Texas’ historic and lingering drought has already worn out its welcome, but it could easily stay around for years and there is a chance it might last another five years or even until 2020, says a Texas A&M University weather expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

More than $150 million goes up in smoke this year in agriculture
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Since January, Texas agriculture has seen more than $150 million in agricultural losses due to wildfire, and experts say those figures are expected to continue to roll upward like the smoke pillars that dot the blackened landscape. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought-scorched trees not necessarily dead | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

Matt Bonham, Texas AgriLife Extension Service assistant, Overton, checks out a red oak tree whose leaves are browning and dropping off early due to the drought. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Drought-scorched trees not necessarily dead

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – “Our trees are dying!”

Reports like this are coming from throughout the state, but don’t write off that shade tree or loblolly pine just yet, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Wildfire Report

Texas Business reports:  Sunday, the Texas Forest Service responded to 19 new fires for 137 acres.  In the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 86 fires for 11,329 acres.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought takes its toll on Texas pumpkin patch   | lub_txbz, pumpkin, halloween, drought, agriculture, farm,

Pumpkins ready for harvest (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Russ Wallace)
Drought takes its toll on Texas pumpkin patch
Texas Business reports: LUBBOCK – Linus of  “Peanuts” comic strip fame might be a little disappointed if he waits for the “Great Pumpkin” in a Texas pumpkin patch this year, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Despite recent rains, planting winter wheat now could result in a 'catastrophic' failures   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

Ryegrass could be a less high-stakes gamble than other winter forages this year as it can be planted later and disked in. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Despite recent rains, planting winter wheat now could result in a 'catastrophic' failures
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Many parts of the state received from a trace to 4 inches of rain, but as welcome as the moisture was, people rushing to plant winter wheat or pasture may be setting themselves up for an expensive failure, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Texas Crop Report

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Many agricultural producers in East Texas are feeling caught between a rock and a ‘hot’ place, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Fort Hood battles 11,380 acres of wildfires | kil_tem_fth_txbz, wild fire, wildfire,

A wildfire continues to burn in the Jack Mountain training area Sept. 6, 2011, stopping short of the perimeter of the Boaz Military Operations on Urban Terrain site.
Fort Hood battles 11,380 acres of wildfires
FORT HOOD—Extreme drought conditions have led to wildfires in Fort Hood's training areas, burning nearly 5 percent of the 215,000-acre post. Full Story »
By Christie Vanover, III Corps

Texas citrus harvest expected to be down from last year  | brn_har_txbz, Weslaco, citris, drought,

Grapefruit matrues on Rio Grande Valley citrus trees which are expected to produce a smaller than usual commercial crop this year. (AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana)
Texas citrus harvest expected to be down from last year

Texas Business reports: WESLACO—The Texas citrus harvest extends roughly from Labor Day into May, but this year’s crop could be short due to adverse weather, according to an expert with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Weslaco.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

West Texas cows get beans morning, noon and night during drought   | mid_txbz, odes_txbz, elp_txbz, Fort Stockton, mesquite bean, cattle feed,

A heifer grazes on mesquite beans. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)
West Texas cows get beans morning, noon and night during drought
Texas Business reports:  FORT STOCKTON – As the record-setting drought strengthens its sinewy grip across Texas, one may wonder what the remaining livestock and wildlife are eating. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Fire Activity
Texas Fire Activity  Full Story »
Courtesy Texas Forest Service

Come drought or high-water, automated flood system phones home   | kil_tem_fth_txbz, Fort Hood, Flash Flood Alley, Tropical Storm Hermine,

The dramatic difference between the level of Nolan Creek at downtown Belton can be seen in these photos. The top photo was taken during the 2010 flash flood; the bottom in the drought of 2011.
Come drought or high-water, automated flood system phones home

Texas Business reports: TEMPLE – Taking precautions for flooding during the worst drought in Texas history may seem unrealistic, but for a reality check, all you have to do is look at what happened in the Temple/Belton area in 2010.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Without rain soon, spinach, other fall vegetable crops may be at risk | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Without rain soon, spinach, other fall vegetable crops may be at risk

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – If you like leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and cabbage, you may find them to be in short supply this fall due to the drought, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Bolt Your Door: Invasive Species Attacking Texas   | hou_txbz, TexRAT, Galveston, invasive species, kudzu, Chinese Tallow,

Bolt Your Door: Invasive Species Attacking Texas
Texas Business reports:  GALVESTON—It sounds like a 1950s B-horror movie — Attack of the Invasive Species — but the battle of invading plants and animals could be coming to your front door and is costing you millions of dollars. Two Texas A&M University at Galveston researchers are on the forefront of the fight. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Progress and Condition

Texas Business reports:  Areas of the Northern High Plains, North East Texas, the Trans-Pecos, and the Edwards Plateau received up to 3 inches of rainfall, while the rest of the state observed little to no rainfall, according to the USDA.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

This year's winter wheat could be a 'no-grow'   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz, wheat, drought,

Cattle grazing winter wheat during a better year on the Rolling Plains. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Todd Baughman)
This year's winter wheat could be a 'no-grow'

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – After the failure of many of their summer crops due to drought, now producers have good reason to worry that they won’t make a winter wheat crop either, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

South Texas cotton harvest ends well…considering   | mca_edi_miss_txbz, cotton, drought,

Round and rectangular modules of picked cotton await ginning at the Buddy Ross Gin in Mercedes, Tx. (AgriLife photo by Rod Santa Ana)
South Texas cotton harvest ends well…considering
Texas Business reports:  EDINBURG — As the cotton harvest winds down in South Texas, experts are qualifying their favorable comments with a single word: considering. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Planning Must Start Now to Bring Rangeland Back from Drought: More than 90 million acres of Texas rangeland can be rehabilitated.
Texas Business reports:  As a blistering drought continues to plague huge portions of Texas, a Texas Tech University researcher says that even now in the midst of the fight it’s time to plan ahead and logically plot a path for pulling more than 90 million acres of valuable rangeland back from the brink. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas agricultural drought losses reach record $5.2 billion   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

Ranchers have been purchasing expensive hay, having it trucked in from out of state during the historic Texas drought. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)
Texas agricultural drought losses reach record $5.2 billion

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – The historic Texas drought has led to a record $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, making it the most costly drought on record, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Forage expert: It's a 'no-brainer;' sell out herds now   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Forage expert: It's a 'no-brainer;' sell out herds now

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—With little to no grazing and hay, should livestock producers continue to try to buy feed, move cattle to another state or just sell out?

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

South Texas agriculture: $1.6 billion and growing in four-county area   | mca_edi_miss_txbz, brn_har_txbz, agriculture,
South Texas agriculture: $1.6 billion and growing in four-county area

Texas Business reports: WESLACO—Despite adversities, South Texas agriculture has an economic impact of  $1.6 billion and is poised to expand to help feed and fuel the world well into the future, according to a new study by a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agricultural economist.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

New tech captures ammonia from manure using material made for synthetic blood vessels | colsta_bry_txbz, ammonia, manure,
New tech captures ammonia from manure using material made for synthetic blood vessels
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Though it may not sound very glamorous, a new method of extracting ammonium from liquid animal manure could be exciting news for both confined animal operations and environmental groups, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service engineer. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

FSA Administrator Tours Areas of Texas Struck by Worst Drought in State History

Texas Business reports: Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson traveled to Texas today to tour areas of the southern parts of the state devastated by drought and wildfires.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz

A farmer disks corn stubble in the Texas Blacklands. Most corn in the area either failed or had extremely low yields, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Texas Crop Report

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION – Recent predictions by the National Weather Service of a 50 percent chance there will be another La Niña in the southern Pacific Ocean this fall can be taken two ways — with optimism or pessimism, said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas A&M University professor and Texas state climatologist.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

USDA Weekly Texas Agriculture Report

Texas Business reports:  Areas of the Northern High Plains received up to 3 inches of rainfall, the Trans-Pecos received up to 1.5 inches of rainfall, while the rest of the state received little to no rainfall, according to the USDA's weekly Texas Agriculture Report. 


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought worsens as daytime highs break historical records   | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Drought worsens as daytime highs break historical records

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – More than 99 percent of the state was in one level of drought or another by the last week of July, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

AgriLife Research ‘genetically fingerprinting’ E. coli from Lampasas and Leon watersheds   | kil_tem_fth_txbz, Belton, Leon,
AgriLife Research ‘genetically fingerprinting’ E. coli from Lampasas and Leon watersheds

Texas Business reports:  TEMPLE — The Lampasas and Leon Rivers watersheds have been listed as impaired by the state due to high counts of E. coli and other bacteria taken in the late 1990s, but from whom, what and where the contamination originates is unclear, say Texas AgriLife Research experts.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Raspberry crazy ants are on the move

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Matagorda County has been added to a growing list of counties with confirmed Raspberry crazy ant populations, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Tropical Storm Don welcome to Texas but no match for the drought    | drought, abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz, tropical storm,

Leaders of several state agencies charged with monitoring the impact of the drought believe Tropical Storm Don’s Texas trip may be too brief to blast the dry spell.
Tropical Storm Don welcome to Texas but no match for the drought

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Texans are all but standing on the shores to welcome Tropical Storm Don to the drought-stricken state.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Some pockets of dryland crops survive the drought | pecans, drought,abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz,
Some pockets of dryland crops survive the drought

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – Though most dryland crops have failed due to the drought, there were scattered pockets of production, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

New irrigation course will cover solar pumping   | colsta_bry_txbz, irrigation, solar,
New irrigation course will cover solar pumping

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION – The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Irrigation Technology Center-School of Irrigation will conduct a new course on solar-powered and other renewable-energy irrigation systems.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Urban gardening’s roots spreading throughout Texas   | dal_ftw_txbz, aust_txbz, hou_txbz, sanant_txbz, Muddy Paws, Margie Noonan, Bexar County, Marlene Ramirez, David Rodriguez, Don Hall, PVC pipe, Douglas Welsh, Daphne Richards, Anthony Camaerino, Danielle Ayers, Steve Chaney,

The Muddy PAWS limited-space urban garden at the Providence Apartments on Wall Street in northwest San Antonio. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service Photo)
Urban gardening’s roots spreading throughout Texas

Texas Business reports: SAN ANTONIO—Managing the Muddy PAWS limited-space urban community vegetable garden at the Providence at Wall Street apartment complex in northwest San Antonio is “a lot more fun than it is work,” according to Margie Noonan, a Bexar County Master Gardener.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought causing concerns for livestock water availability, quality

The continuing drought and high temperatures are causing cattle water sources to become a greater concern, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialist. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)
Drought causing concerns for livestock water availability, quality

Texas Business reports:  AMARILLO – As the drought continues and temperatures remain above normal, cattle water is becoming a greater concern, especially after recent reports of cattle deaths in or around watering points, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Progress and Condition

Texas Business reports: Areas of the Lower Valley, Coastal Bend, the Upper Coast, and East Texas received up to 1 inch of rainfall, the Northern High and Low Plains received up to 0.25 of an inch of rainfall, while the rest of the state observed scattered showers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 


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TexasBusiness.com

Irrigation wells pumping air; dryland survives in some areas   | drought, corn, grain, sorghum, cotton, deer, does, drought, dry, dryland, pumping air, aquifer, water,

As the drought worsened and aquifers dropped, irrigators struggled to keep up with their crops’ moisture demands. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Irrigation wells pumping air; dryland survives in some areas

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — One of the worst droughts in the state’s history deepened, with nearly 98 percent of the state in one stage of drought or another, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.


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Jasper County Fire Destroys More Than $2 Million Worth Of Timber  | Texas Forest Service, Jasper County, beau_pta_txbz,
Jasper County Fire Destroys More Than $2 Million Worth Of Timber

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION—More than $2 million worth of timber was destroyed last month in Jasper County, where thousands of acres were ravaged by just one wildfire.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

As drought continues, some irrigators have to make hard choices | colsta_txbz, Al Nelson, Agrilife Extension, cotton, corn,
As drought continues, some irrigators have to make hard choices

Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — Much of Texas received rain in the last week. Most got only a trace, but from 2 to 4 inches or more fell in isolated areas, according to the National Weather Service.


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Dry Lightning Starts Texas Fires | dry lightning, fire, forest fire, wild fire, firefirefighters,
Dry Lightning Starts Texas Fires

Texas Business reports: Firefighters are expected to remain busy the next few days as dry lightning is forecast in the Panhandle. Since Monday, approximately two-thirds of the fires across the state have been started by lightning strikes. 


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TexasBusiness.com

USDA Report On Texas Crop Progress And Condition

Texas Business reports:  Areas of the Lower Valley received up to 3 inches of rainfall, the Northern Plains and North East Texas received up to 2 inches of rainfall, while the rest of the state observed scattered showers.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

AgriLife Extension expert: Cattle market outlook positive

Texas Business reports: COLLEGE STATION—Even with drought and high input costs putting pressure on beef cattle inventory throughout the U.S., the market outlook is positive over the next several years, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist.


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TexasBusiness.com

Llano River Water Rights Cut Back By Drought | aust_txbz, Llano River, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, drought, dry, water,
Llano River Water Rights Cut Back By Drought

Texas Business reports: The record-breaking drought has forced the state to curtail water rights on the Llano River Basin.


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Texas Wildfire Report | dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz,
Texas Wildfire Report

Texas Business reports:  The Texas Forest Service is battling four fires that have burned 2,600 acres.  The service responded Monday to new large fires in Palo Pinto, Presidio, Sutton and Knox counties.


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TexasBusiness.com

Toxicologists Receive $846,000 to Find Cause of Plummeting Quail Population    | lub_txbz, quail, Operation Idiopathic Decline,
Toxicologists Receive $846,000 to Find Cause of Plummeting Quail Population

Texas Business reports:  Though quail have been on the decline for the past 20 years, last year saw the greatest decline yet. Researchers at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech recently received $846,000 to fund three studies looking at diminishing bobwhite quail populations across the state.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Unique lab seeks drought-tolerant traits in cotton  | corp_chr_txbz, cotton, drought, Carlos Fernandez, plant physiologist, TAMU, Agrilife, A&M, Aggie, cultivar,
Unique lab seeks drought-tolerant traits in cotton
Texas Business reports:  CORPUS CHRISTI  –  As billion-dollar agricultural losses continue to mount in the withering Texas heat, Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Corpus Christi are taking a closer look at why some cotton varieties do better than others in drought conditions. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Microalgae could be Texas’ next big cash crop | corp_chr_txbz, microalgae, Carlos Fernandez, lipid, lipids, fats, diesel, carbon dioxide, salinity, nutrients, temperature, light level, biofuel, residue, fertilizer, fish, shrimp, cattle, Flour Bluff, Mariculture, Tzachi Samocha, Port Aransas, Addison Lawrence, flue gas, Barney M. Davis Power Plant, Juan Landivar,

Carlos Fernandez examines one of four bioreactors prior to growing microalgae for studies. (AgriLife Research photo by Rod Santa Ana)
Microalgae could be Texas’ next big cash crop

Texas Business reports:  CORPUS CHRISTI  –  Just as corn and peanuts stunned the world decades ago with their then-newly discovered multi-beneficial uses and applications, Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Corpus Christi think microalgae holds even more promise.


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As Texas Fights Five Major Fires, Record Number Of Counties Issue Burn Bans | burn ban, firefighter, fire, wildfire, Hardeman County, Wiseman Complex, diary, Muleshoe, Bearing, Polk, Trinity, Carmona, Trent Mesa, Taylor, Merkel, McDonald II, Clay County, Henrietta, Wichita, Six-Mile Cutoff,
As Texas Fights Five Major Fires, Record Number Of Counties Issue Burn Bans

Texas Business reports:  The Texas Forest Service is working on five large fires, including one new fire, that have burned 32,981 acres.  Texas Forest Service responded yesterday to one new large fire in Lamb County.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Nearly all Panhandle/South Plains dryland crops have failed | amar_txbz, abil_txbz, lub_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz,

Panhandle and South Plains irrigators were pumping 24 hours a day just to keep up with crop water needs and evapo-transpiration, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. (Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kay Ledbetter)
Nearly all Panhandle/South Plains dryland crops have failed
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION — Because of the drought, there’s going to be no such thing as dryland crops in the Panhandle and South Plains this year, said Nicholas Kenny, Texas AgriLife Extension Service irrigation specialist based in Amarillo. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Drought Forces Cutback On Brazos River Water Use | Texas Business reports:  Drought conditions continue to be widespread across the state. As a result, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is continuing to inform water-rights holders in the Brazos River Basin that water rights will be administered on a priority basis.

Monday the executive director of the TCEQ notified certain Brazos River Basin junior water-right holders with a priority date of 1960 or later that their right to divert water is immediately suspended.

Suspended water rights include those with a priority date of 1960 or later, term, and temporary water-right permits in the mid- and lower- Brazos River Basin.

Previous suspension was of rights 1980 or earlier.

In order to protect public health and welfare, water rights with municipal uses or for power generation have not been suspended. Land owners with property adjacent to the Brazos River may also continue to divert water for domestic and livestock use as part of their inherent riparian rights.

These actions are guided by the priority doctrine in Texas law. The most senior water rights are served first during times of drought with domestic and livestock uses superior to any appropriated rights. Water rights are suspended or curtailed by priority date, with the most recently issued—or “junior”—priority users suspended before senior water rights in the area.

The TCEQ has asked that all Brazos River water-right holders take steps to conserve water, implement their drought contingency plans, and prepare for additional suspensions or curtailments should drought conditions persist.

Brazos River Water Restrictions Have Been Implemented by TCEQ. Photo by Karnegie Musa. Copyright 2011.
Drought Forces Cutback On Brazos River Water Use
Texas Business reports:  Drought conditions continue to be widespread across the state. As a result, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is continuing to inform water-rights holders in the Brazos River Basin that water rights will be administered on a priority basis. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Mississippi Firm Wins Contract To Cull Fort Hood Mesquite And Juniper | kil_tem_fth_txbz, juniper, Fort Hood, mesquite, clear, chainsaw, lopper, weed whacker, mesquite stump, Union Forestry Labor, Ackerman, Mississippi, Woody Vegetation,
Mississippi Firm Wins Contract To Cull Fort Hood Mesquite And Juniper

Texas Business reports:  A Mississippi firm won a $76,000 contract to cull mesquite and juniper from 778 acres at Fort Hood.


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Dyer Mill Fire Evacuation Order Lifted | fire, firefighter, wildfire, evacuation, Plantersville, Dyer Mill Fire, Grimes County, Betty Shifflett, Navasota High School, Trent Mesa, Taylor County, Merkel, White Hat, Coke, Nolan, Maryneal, Bearing, Polk, Trinity, Carmona, Midway, Cowboy Church, Walker County, Power Line, Jasper County, Lake Sam Rayburn, SMAC, Falfurrias, sanang_txbz, Cobble, Howard, Big Spring, lub_txbz, abil_txbz, Rock Creek, Aspermont,
Dyer Mill Fire Evacuation Order Lifted

Texas Business reports: PLANTERSVILLE, Texas—All evacuation orders for the Dyer Mill Fire have been lifted, the Texas Forest Service announced. Residents are allowed to return home. The fire is 5,280 acres and is 95 percent contained.

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TexasBusiness.com

Multi-paddock grazing is superior to continuous grazing | wicfal_txbz, paddock, grazing, agriculture, Texas Business, TexasBusiness, TexasBusiness.com, Richard Teague, range land, ranch management,

This is tall grass prairie under multi-paddock grazing at the same high stocking rate, but dominated by highly productive grasses with few weeds, according to Richard Teague.Texas AgriLife Research photo.
Multi-paddock grazing is superior to continuous grazing

Texas Business reports:  VERNON – A long-term study verifies multi-paddock grazing improves vegetation, soil health and animal production relative to continuous grazing in large-scale ranches, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists.


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TexasBusiness.com

Castagra To Test Low-Ricin Castor Beans With Texas A&M  | Castor Beans, Castor bean, Texas Business, TexasBusiness, Castagra, bioproduct, Texas A&M, TAMU, ricin, vegetable plastic, gypsum, castor oil, Brigham castor, Pecos, mid_txbz, elp_txbz, Travis Miller, Peter Roosen, David Baltensperger, Calvin Trostle, Dick Auld, lub_txbz,

Castor Beans
Castagra To Test Low-Ricin Castor Beans With Texas A&M

Texas Business reports:  LUBBOCK – Castagra, a Canadian bioproducts company, has entered into an agreement with Texas AgriLife Research, part of the Texas A&M University System, to test production of a new castor bean with less ricin, according to Texas AgriLife. 

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TexasBusiness.com

Village Farms Expands U.S. Greenhouse Operations With $42 Million Monahans Project | Monahans, Fort Davis, El Paso, Village Farms, Vancouver, Canada, greenhouse, hydroponic, Marfa, Michael DeGiglio, Verbakel Bomkas, Hortimax, Netherlands,
Village Farms Expands U.S. Greenhouse Operations With $42 Million Monahans Project

 Texas Business reports:  The Vancouver-based Village Farms International Inc. is building a  greenhouse located in Monahans, Texas.  

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TexasBusiness.com

Cattle Trails Wheat and Stocker Conference to be held Aug. 5 in Lawton | Lawton, Oklahoma, TAMU, Cattle Trails, Wheat & Stocker Conference, Stan Bevers, Agrilife, Texas Agrilife, Texas Business,
Cattle Trails Wheat and Stocker Conference to be held Aug. 5 in Lawton

 Texas Business reports:  The annual Cattle Trails Wheat and Stocker Conference will be held August 5 at the Comanche County Fairgrounds Coliseum, 920 South Sheridan Road, in Lawton, Okla.

 

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TexasBusiness.com

 With hay and water supplies dwindling, producers continue to cull herds | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz, Lee Dudley, Clint Perkins, Mark Currie, Polk County, J.D. Folbre, Karnes County, Ryan Martin, Motley County, Greg Jones, Garza County, drought, cull herd, herd cull, hay, dry, Texas Business,

Gerald "Bubba" Green, right, aided by Chad Gulley, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for Nacogdoches County, feeds hay in June on part of the 200 acres he farms in Nacogdoches County. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
With hay and water supplies dwindling, producers continue to cull herds
Texas Business reports:  COLLEGE STATION—With the ongoing drought, livestock producers throughout the state continued to cull herds or liquidate them entirely, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Prominent Breeder Agrees To Pay $1.5 Million For Smuggling Deer Into East Texas | tyl_txbz, deer breeder, Cherokee County, John M. Bales, Billy Powell, U.S. Fish and Wildife, Texas Parks and Wildlife, electric anklet, 5P Farms, Ligonier, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, whitetail deer, wildife division, Texas Animal Health Commission, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas A&M, Veterinary Medicine, TAMU, Jim Noble, CWD, bovine tuberculosis, TPWD,
Prominent Breeder Agrees To Pay $1.5 Million For Smuggling Deer Into East Texas
Texas Business reports:  TYLER—After a lengthy four year investigation a 77-year-old Cherokee County, Texas licensed deer breeder has pleaded guilty to illegally transporting wildlife in the Eastern District of Texas and then lying about it to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

New Texas Superstar flowers all season long, likes heat | costa_bry_txbz, horticulture, gypsophilia, floral shop, Texas Superstar, Baby’s Breath, euphorbia, Mike Arnold, horticulturist,
New Texas Superstar flowers all season long, likes heat
Texas Business reports:   COLLEGE STATION — Because the plant wimps out in the Texas heat, about the only place Texas gardeners are used to seeing Baby’s Breath gypsophilia is in the floral shop. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

USDA Weekly Texas Agriculture Report | Areas of the Blacklands and the Northern Plains received up to 3 inches of rainfall, East Texas received up to 1 inch of rainfall, while the rest of the state observed little to no moisture.

Small Grains: Winter wheat in areas of the High Plains continued to be stressed due to the earlier freeze and drought conditions. Winter wheat harvest made good progress due to dry open weather in areas of the Blacklands.

Row Crops: Irrigation was active on recently planted corn while emerging cotton continued to suffer due to thrips in areas of the Northern High Plains. In the Northern Low Plains, irrigated cotton planting was delayed due to high winds and hot temperatures. In areas of the northern part of the state, dry-land cotton planting increased due to an insurance deadline while producers were in need of rainfall to plant sorghum. Corn pollination made good progress due to recently received rainfall in areas of the Blacklands. Irrigation was active on corn, cotton, and sorghum in areas of the southern part of the state. Sorghum turned color in areas of the Upper Coast and the Lower Valley. Cotton squared and peanut planting was active in areas of the southern part of the state.

Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop: In areas of North East Texas, blueberry and blackberry harvests continued. Fall planted onions bulbed, pecan nut pollination was active, and chile peppers made progress due to recent rainfall in areas of the Trans-Pecos. Watermelon and potato harvest were active in areas of South Texas and the Lower Valley.

Livestock, Range and Pasture: Producers increased supplemental feeding and culled livestock due to increasing drought conditions in areas of the Plains, the Cross Timbers, and the southern part of the state. Hot temperatures and high winds continued to evaporate livestock tanks and ponds in the Plains, the Cross Timbers, and southern parts of the state. Hay supplies tightened in some areas of the state due to little hay production and delayed cuttings. Warm season pastures greened up in areas of the Blacklands due to recent rain showers and fertilizer applications; however, pastures continued to brown across the rest of the state due to continued drought conditions. Cattle suffered from horn flies while crops and forages suffered due to increasing grasshopper populations and feral hogs in areas of North East Texas. Rangeland continued to be damaged by wildfires in areas of the Plains and the Trans-Pecos.
USDA Weekly Texas Agriculture Report
Texas Business reports: The United States Department of Agriculture issued its weekly Texas Agriculture Report.   Areas of the Blacklands and the Northern Plains received up to 3 inches of rainfall, East Texas received up to 1 inch of rainfall, while the rest of the state observed little to no moisture. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

July Workshop To Address Grape Expectations  | dal_ftw_txbz, vineyard economics, LightCatcher Winery, bistro, Fran Pontasch, Stephenville, wine grower, grape grower, vinyard, vineyard enterprise,

A Prospective Wine-Grape Grower Workshop will be held July 20 at the LightCatcher Winery & Bistro near Fort Worth. The workshop will address necessary viticulture expertise, site selection, risk factors, labor requirements & commercial vineyard economics.
July Workshop To Address Grape Expectations

Texas Business reports:  Fort Worth—the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a Prospective Wine-Grape Grower Workshop from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on July 20 for people interested in commercial wine-grape production.


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Exceptional, extreme drought ongoing for most of Texas | colsta_bry_txbz, drought, Texas, alfalfa, wheat, haying wheat, summer crops,

As the drought continued in most of Texas, livestock producers were concerned about loss of water sources. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)
Exceptional, extreme drought ongoing for most of Texas
 Texas Business reports:  College Station—A few areas received rain, but except for parts of north-central and extreme northeast Texas, the state continued to suffer from moderate to exceptional drought, according the U.S. Drought monitor. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

East Texas Bedding Plant Industry Blooms | tyl_txbz, longv_txbz, Overton, bedding plant, East Texas, Brent Pemberton, horticulturist, horticulture, North Farm, petunias, verbena, ornamental sweet potatoes, daisies,
East Texas Bedding Plant Industry Blooms

Texas Business reports:  OVERTON — Even after a two-year recession, the bedding-plant industry in East Texas has not slowed down.

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TexasBusiness.com

AgriLife Extension agronomist: Massive Cotton And Wheat Crop Failures In Texas | colsta_bry_txbz, wheat failure, cotton failure, crop failure, soil moisture, drought, Texas, planting window, Mark Kelley,

Wheat yields are expected to be drastically reduced or non-existent in most parts of Texas. Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns
AgriLife Extension agronomist: Massive Cotton And Wheat Crop Failures In Texas

Texas Business reports:  College Station—After a huge 2010 in cotton, 2011 looks bleak, according to reports from Texas Agrilife Extension Service. Many areas received rain, but in most of the state the agricultural situation remained extremely dire.

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TexasBusiness.com

Critical Wildfire Conditions Predicted On Tuesday | wildfire, Texas, firefighter, fire, west texas, dry, drought,
Critical Wildfire Conditions Predicted On Tuesday
Texas Business reports:  West Texas—Extremely dry, windy conditions in West Texas and the Panhandle are expected to worsen Tuesday, increasing the potential for wildfires. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Drought Causes Brazos River Water Right Restrictions | TCEQ, Brazos River, water rights, riparian rights, drought, priority, junior, senior, municipal, livestock,

orth Fork Double Mountain Fork Brazos River in Yellow House Canyon near Slaton, Texas
Texas Drought Causes Brazos River Water Right Restrictions

Texas Business reports: Because of the severity of the Texas drought, water rights have been restricted on the longest river in Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced.


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USDA Weekly Texas Agriculture Report
Texas Business reports:  Areas of the Edwards Plateau, High Plains, South Texas, Lower Valley and South Central Texas received up to 2 inches of rainfall, areas of the Low Plains received up to 0.5 of an inch of rainfall, while the Trans-Pecos observed little to no precipitation. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Wildfire Firefighter Academy To Be Held In Lufkin  | tyl_txbz, longv_txbz, hou_txbz, Wildfire academy, wildfire, Texas, firefighter, forest service, Lufkin,
Wildfire Firefighter Academy To Be Held In Lufkin
Texas Business reports:  Lufkin—As one of the most intense wildfire seasons ever has swept across Texas, firefighters from across the nation will gather next week for the 14th Annual East Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academy. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Progress and Condition   | USDA, Texas, Texas Agriculture, small grains, blacklands, northeast Texas, silage, hay, row crops, fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, peanuts, potatoes, onions, sunflowers,
Texas Crop Progress and Condition
Texas Business reports:  Parts of the state receive rainfall, parts of the state suffer in the worst drought in recorded history according to this summary of Texas Agriculture by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

TNG Pharmaceuticals Wins Global Venture Labs Investment Competition

Texas Business reports:  TNG Pharmaceuticals, a team from the University of Louisville that developed a vaccine to prevent negative effects to cattle from the horn fly, won the Global Venture Labs Investment Competition (Global VLIC), hosted by Texas Venture Labs at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.


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TexasBusiness.com

Evacuations Loom, Oil Pipeline Threatened by Wildfire | lub_txbz, oil pipeline, wildfire, Merkel, Texas Forest Service, firefighter, wildfire,
Evacuations Loom, Oil Pipeline Threatened by Wildfire
Texas Business reports:  Merkel, Texas—Potential evacuations loom and an oil pipeline are threatened by a wildfire 73 miles from Lubbock, the Texas Forest Service said.  Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Record Drought In West Texas and Northwest Texas | amar_txbz, lub_txbz, abil_txbz, drought, wildfire, Texas Forest Service, U.S. Drought Monitor,
Record Drought In West Texas and Northwest Texas
Texas Business reports:  The seven-month precipitation total from October 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011 will be about 6.00 inches for northwest Texas and West Texas According to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Full Story »
Texas Business

Air Guard, Reserve Complete Texas Firefighting Mission | amar_txbz, lub_txbz, abil_txbz,Defense Department, C-130 Hercules aircraft, U.S. Forest Service, firefighting, Northern Command, Texas,  U.S. Department of Defense, C-130, Air Force Reserve, 302nd Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, 146th Air Wing, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California,  Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, National Interagency Fire Center, sorties, fire-retardant,
Air Guard, Reserve Complete Texas Firefighting Mission

Texas Business reports:  Four Defense Department C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service firefighting systems that were under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command have completed their support to the firefighting efforts in Texas, the U.S. Department of Defense announced.


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TexasBusiness.com

Texas wildfire agricultural losses estimated at $20.4 million  | colsta_bry_txbz, wildfire, firefighter, losses, Todd Staples,
Texas wildfire agricultural losses estimated at $20.4 million
Texas Business reports:  College Station—Texas Texas wildfires during April have caused an estimated $20.4 million in agricultural losses, destroying fences, buildings, grazing pastures and resulting in livestock deaths, according to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

USDA Wildlife Specialists Dust Texas Prairie Dog Burrows to Combat Suspected Plague | prairie dog, bubonic plague, black plague, Texas, agribusiness, agriculture, fleas, amar_txbz, lub_txbz, abil_txbz,
USDA Wildlife Specialists Dust Texas Prairie Dog Burrows to Combat Suspected Plague

Texas Business reports:  Wildlife specialists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) dusted portions of a 40,000 acre ranch in Texas during the last week of April to combat a suspected plague outbreak in prairie dog colonies. 


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TexasBusiness.com

Rain brings some relief, but most of Texas still experiencing severe or worse drought | colsta_bry_txbz, Agrilife, drought, wheat, cattle, agribusiness, Texas, production, crop, irrigated, failed,Irrigated corn, sorghum, peanuts, sunflowers, cotton, dryland spring crops, pecan trees, flowering, fruit set, orchards, winterkill, grape orchards, february freeze, sod farms, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, Onions, cantaloupes, watermelons, green beans, potatoes, sweet corn, pasture, rangeland, grasses, dormant, forage, livestock, supplemental feed, cattle, stock-water, tanks, critical levels,

With forages in short supply, many farmers were turning cattle in on failed wheat, hoping to recover some of their investment from grazing
Rain brings some relief, but most of Texas still experiencing severe or worse drought

Texas Business reports:  College Station—Strong storm cells swept through parts of East and North Central Texas on April 27, bringing tornadoes along with some much needed rain, reported Scott Burns and other Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.


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TexasBusiness.com

Kansas’ Cargill Buys Texas Hog Production Facility For $33 Million | Cargill, pig farm, pork producer, Dalhart, amar_txbz, pork business, Premium Standard Farms, Beardstown, Illinois, Ottumwa, Iowa, Dirk Jones,
Kansas’ Cargill Buys Texas Hog Production Facility For $33 Million
Texas Business reports:  Cargill's Wichita-based pork business completed a transaction to acquire a 21,500-acre hog production site near Dalhart, Texas, from the Premium Standard Farms LLC subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc. (for approximately $33 million. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Progress And Condition | Texas crop, crop condition, crop progress, USDA, corn, rice, sorghum, wheat, oats, range and pasture, cotton, peanuts, rice, soybeans, sunflowers, winter wheat, small grains,
Texas Crop Progress And Condition

Texas Business reports: Through Sunday, areas of the Southern Low Plains, the Cross Timbers, and the Edwards Plateau received up to 3 inches of rainfall while the rest of the state observed little to no moisture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas AgriLife Extension Receives $5 Million To Battle Childhood Obesity With Gardening | tamu, colsta_txbz, USDA, agrilife, obesity, childhood, childhood obesity, gardening, Texas A&M, Texas,
Texas AgriLife Extension Receives $5 Million To Battle Childhood Obesity With Gardening
Texas Business reports:  College Station—The use of family-focused gardening in the fight against childhood obesity may become a growing trend with a near $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to a Texas higher education partnership. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Critical Wildfire Conditions Predicted On Tuesday | abil_txbz, lub_txbz,
Critical Wildfire Conditions Predicted On Tuesday

Texas Business reports:  College Station—Dry, windy conditions today are expected to create ideal conditions for wildfires in the western portions of Texas, a situation expected to worsen on Tuesday.


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TexasBusiness.com

Aggie Researchers Receive More Than $14 Million from the USDA for Cattle Research | col_sta_txbz, USDA, BRD, bovine respiratory disease, feed efficiency, cattle, TAMA, aggie, James Womack, CVM,
Aggie Researchers Receive More Than $14 Million from the USDA for Cattle Research

Texas Business reports:  College Station—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded two major grants totaling more than $14 million to investigators at Texas A&M University for conducting research on Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) and feed efficiency.


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TexasBusiness.com

TDA Quarantines Cameron County Following Detection of Mexican Fruit Fly | Mexican Fruit Fly, Cameron County, Quarantine, USDA, brn_har_txbz, TDA, USDA,

Mexican Fruit Fly. USDA Photo.
TDA Quarantines Cameron County Following Detection of Mexican Fruit Fly

Texas Business reports:  The Texas Department of Agriculture has established an 81-square-mile regulated area in Cameron County to prevent the spread of recently detected Mexican fruit flies.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

11 New Fires Tuesday, Texas Forest Service Also Battling Carryover Fires | wildfire, Texas, firefighter, Jasper County, Trinity County, mid_txbz, Palo Pinto County, PK Complex, Stephens County, Young county,
11 New Fires Tuesday, Texas Forest Service Also Battling Carryover Fires

Texas Business reports:  The Texas Forest Service has responded to 11 new fires on Tuesday (April 19).


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report | Texas Crop report, wildfire, drought, high wind, Texas Agrilife,

Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kay Ledbetter
Texas Crop Report

Texas Business reports:  AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries of the 12 Texas AgriLife Extension Service districts, most of which report extremely dry conditions, wildfire danger and high winds.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Wheat Crop  To Fall By Two-Thirds | col_sta_txbz, wheat, Agrilife, Mark Welch, drought,

Not all dryland wheat is at risk, but much of the crop has been abandoned to crop-insurance adjustors due to the ongoing drought. Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns
Texas Wheat Crop To Fall By Two-Thirds

Texas Business reports:  College Station—Wildfires continued to breakout in many areas, but even without fires wheat farmers were feeling burned, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

More Air Tankers Ordered To Fight Texas Wildfires | MAFFs, Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems, SEATS, single engine air tankers, wildfire, Texas, wildfires, McDonnell Douglas, DC-10, Texas Forest Service,

Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems
More Air Tankers Ordered To Fight Texas Wildfires

Texas Business reports:  Midland—The Texas Forest Service ordered additional aerial resources to battle the wildfires ravaging the state.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Horticulture show blooms again at Festival of Flowers | sanant_txbz, alamo area horticulture show, alzafar,
Horticulture show blooms again at Festival of Flowers
Texas Business reports:  San Antonio—For the second year, the Alamo Area Horticulture Show and Contest will take place during Festival of Flowers activities in San Antonio, said David Rodriguez, Texas AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist and a show coordinator. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Geosciences Professor Develops System To Predict Droughts | climate pattern, colsta_bry_txbz, drought prediction, Great Plains,

Steven Quiring
Geosciences Professor Develops System To Predict Droughts

Texas Business reports:  College Station—A Texas A&M University geography professor is developing a drought-prediction system that could benefit everyone from ranchers in South Texas to weekend gardeners in Kansas.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Rice & Texas A&M Receive USDA Research Grants | USDA, Rice, TAMU, hou_txbz, colsta_bry, greenhouse gase, bioenergy, biomass, Vilsack,
Rice & Texas A&M Receive USDA Research Grants

Texas Business reports:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave research grants to two Texas universities to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

As Farmers Age, Texas Scrambles For Youth | farmer, Texas, texas farmer, Texas Department of Agriculture, Young Farmer Grant, Texas Rancher,
As Farmers Age, Texas Scrambles For Youth

Texas Business reports:  As aging Texas farmers and ranchers retire, a new generation of food producers is needed.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Current wildfire status - April 13, 2011 - 6:33 p.m. | wac_txbz, Polk County, hardin county, freestone county, gregg county,
Current wildfire status - April 13, 2011 - 6:33 p.m.
Today Texas Forest Service responded to four new calls for assistance from local fire departments. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Large wildfires raged throughout western part of state | Texas crop report, west texas, airborne tanker,
Large wildfires raged throughout western part of state

Texas Business reports:  Airborne tankers drop fire-retardant on fires that had burned more than 100,000 acres by April 12 in Stonewall, Knox and King Counties.

 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

TCEQ warns of possible curtailment of water rights, including diversions | TCEQ, water rights, diversions, riparian, livestock purposes,
TCEQ warns of possible curtailment of water rights, including diversions

 Texas Business reports:  Drought conditions are widespread across the state. As a result, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality informed water rights holders that the agency may need to administer water rights on a priority basis, if drought conditions persist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Dairy.com Releases Mobile Manifest for Raw Milk Assembly and Delivery | dal_ftw_txbz, mobile manifest, milk manifest, dairy, logistics, milk hauler, fleet truck,
Dairy.com Releases Mobile Manifest for Raw Milk Assembly and Delivery

Texas Business reports:  Plano—Dairy.com, a provider of dairy industry web-based software, released its milk manifest handling technology known as Mobile Manifest.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Fireblight study looks at new chemical, biological and biorational controls | tyl_txbz, longv_txbz, fireblight, Karl Steddom, Scott Burns, bacterial plant disease, commercial fruit producer,

Fireblight
Fireblight study looks at new chemical, biological and biorational controls

Texas Business reports:  Overton—A Texas AgriLife Extension Service plant pathologist has begun evaluating new products, both chemical and biological, to control fireblight on pear and apple trees, according to Robert Burns of Texas AgriLife.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

West Texas wheat crop is going, going, but not quite gone…yet | sanang_txbz, wheat, marginal, West Texas wheat, west texas wheat crop, agronomist, freeze damage,
West Texas wheat crop is going, going, but not quite gone…yet

Texas Business reports:  San Angelo—With the return of warmer temperatures, most of the West Texas wheat crop remains marginal at best, and is failing fast, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist at San Angelo.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Drought Has Hit Critical Stage And May Worsen | colsta_bry_txbz, TAMU, drought, John Nielsen-Gammon, Walker County,
Texas Drought Has Hit Critical Stage And May Worsen

 Texas Business reports:  College Station—The drought situation in Texas has reached the critical stage, says a Texas A&M University atmospheric scientist who also serves as climatologist for Texas, and the U.S. Drought Monitor has designated parts of central and eastern Texas as under “exceptional drought” in its latest assessment.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Agrilife Receives EPA Grant To Battle Bedbugs | colsta_bry_txbz, bedbug, TAMU, EPA, homeless, Cimex lectularius,

Bedbug
Texas Agrilife Receives EPA Grant To Battle Bedbugs

Texas Business reports:  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $76,358 grant to the Texas Agrilife Extension Service to implement new approaches in managing bed bug problems.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas crop, weather for April 5, 2011:  Rain may salvage some plantings east of I-45  | Texas crop report, coastal bend, national weather service, Texas Agrilife, extreme drought, Armon Hewitt,

Pond and lake levels continued to recede as the drought persisted. In some areas, pond levels were down 3 to 5 feet, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service county agent reports. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)
Texas crop, weather for April 5, 2011: Rain may salvage some plantings east of I-45

Texas Business reports:  College Station—Parts of East Texas and the Coastal Bend received from 1 inch to 1.5 inches of rain on April 4, but the rest of the state got only high winds and cooler temperatures, according the National Weather Service, according to reports compiled by Scott Burns of Texas Agrilife.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

U.S.Ag Secretary Appoints TECQ Member To U.S. Task Force On Air Quality | Bryan W. Shaw, EPA, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, greenhouse gas, Agricultureal Air Quality, AAQTF, Tom Vilsack, Robert Avant, Brock Faulkner, TAMU, Agrilife,

Bryan W. Shaw
U.S.Ag Secretary Appoints TECQ Member To U.S. Task Force On Air Quality

Texas Business reports:  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed three Texans to the  Agricultural Air Quality Task Force, including one from a Texas agency that is actively bucking the EPA on air quality control permits.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Nation's Corn Supply Diminishes | corn, Texas Agrilife, diminished stock, corn stock, grain marketing, department of agriculture,
Nation's Corn Supply Diminishes

Texas Business reports:  College Station—The nation’s supply of corn diminished significantly from last year, according to Texas Agrilife officials. U.S. corn stocks are 6.52 billion bushels, down 15 percent from a year ago and less than initially expected. 


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Annie’s Project Classes Set for April and May in Plainview | sanang_txbz, Annie's Project, Plainview, Agrilife, Jason Johnson,
Annie’s Project Classes Set for April and May in Plainview

Texas Business reports:  Plainview—The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct Annie’s Project, an educational curriculum to help women learn the agricultural business, during April and May on the Plainview Campus of South Plains College.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Anthrax Cattle Case Confirmed Near Whitney | wac_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, anthrax, beef cattle, bacillus anthracis, Texas animal health commission, endospores,

The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has confirmed a positive case of anthrax from a tissue sample submitted from a Hill County beef cattle herd.This is a culture of Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax).
Anthrax Cattle Case Confirmed Near Whitney

College Station – Sample tissue submitted to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has tested positive for anthrax in a Central Texas beef cattle herd, according to agency officials.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

AgriLife Extension, others offer small-acreage grower business series in San Antonio | sanant_txbz, Luis Ribera, agrilife extension, small acreage, vegetable farm, fruit orchard,
AgriLife Extension, others offer small-acreage grower business series in San Antonio

Texas Business reports:  San Antonio—The AgriLife Extension Service and others will be presenting a new educational series on the business aspects of running a small-acreage vegetable- or fruit-growing enterprise.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report:  As much as 64 percent of state suffers either severe or extreme drought conditions | crop report, weather report, agrilife, U.S. Drought monitor, drought, College Station, Travis Miller,

Dry Texas.
Texas Crop Report: As much as 64 percent of state suffers either severe or extreme drought conditions
Texas Business reports:  The drought continued to expand in Texas, stunting crop growth, delaying planting and putting additional stress on livestock producers, according to Robert Burns of Texas Agrilife. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Wild Hog Myths | tyl_txbz, lngv_txbz, Overton, feral hog, Agrilife, Billy Higginbotham, Roel Lopez, GIS, hog population,

common myth is that it's possible to identify the breed of a given feral hog by its color and markings. "Hogwash," said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham
Wild Hog Myths

Texas Business reports:  Overton—Unitl recently, if anyone tried to tell you how many feral hogs there are in Texas, they were just blowing smoke, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife biologist.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

‘Re-Born to the Land’ Conference Series Slated for May | odes_txbz, amar_txbz, elp_txbz, texas agrilife, born to land, landowner, land owner, land manager, sanang_txbz,
‘Re-Born to the Land’ Conference Series Slated for May

Texas Business reports:  Amarillo—Essential natural resource knowledge for new West Texas landowners and managers will be the focus of an educational series to be conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service on different dates in May at different locations.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report | Texas Crop report, forest service, wildfire, agrilife, crop planting, La Nina,

A producer performs a prescribed burn in Jim Hogg County, southwest of Corpus Christi.
Texas Crop Report
Texas Business reports:  Range specialist recommends conservative stocking rates, culling herds while prices are high

 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Lower Rolling Plains Agricultural Conference set for March 30 in Snyder | abil_txbz, lub_txbz, Lower Rolling Plains, Ag conference, weed resistance, Scurry County, grain economics,

Cotton Harvest. Photo by Julia R. Nelson. Copyright 2011.
Lower Rolling Plains Agricultural Conference set for March 30 in Snyder
Texas Business reports:  Snyder—The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the annual multi-county Lower Rolling Plains Ag Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 30 at the Scurry Coliseum, 900 E. Coliseum Drive in Snyder.
 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Oak Farms Dairy in Waco Conducts Voluntary Limited Recall  | wac_txbz, chocolate milk, dairy, Alkaline Phosphatase,Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, E. coli, pathogen, recall, elp_txbz,
Oak Farms Dairy in Waco Conducts Voluntary Limited Recall

Texas Business reports:  The Oak Farms Dairy plant in Waco last week voluntarily recalled  half gallon plastic bottles of whole chocolate milk, half pint paper cartons of whole chocolate milk, and half pint paper cartons of 1 percent chocolate milk due to the presence of Alkaline Phosphatase found in samples during routine testing.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

EPA Allows Texas Farmers to Plant Avipel-Treated Corn Seed | abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz, EPA, Avipel, bird repellant,
EPA Allows Texas Farmers to Plant Avipel-Treated Corn Seed

Texas Business reports:  The Environmental Protection Agency has issued Section 18 permits to market Avipel for the 2011 planting season in Texas.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Pushes National Effort to End Retaliatory Trade Tariffs Imposed by Mexico | aust_txbz, abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Pushes National Effort to End Retaliatory Trade Tariffs Imposed by Mexico

Texas Business reports:  With the Lone Star State exporting billions of dollars worth of products used to feed and clothe consumers across the border, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples encouraged other state agriculture leaders to join him in pressing the President and Congress to re-establish a cross-border trucking program with Mexico, the Texas Department of Agriculture announced.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Imperial Sugar Company Declares $0.02 Per Share Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend Payable March 10, 2011 | Imperial Sugar, Sugar Land, hou_txbz, Dixie Crystals, Holly barnd, retail grocer,
Imperial Sugar Company Declares $0.02 Per Share Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend Payable March 10, 2011

Texas Business reports:  Sugar Land—Imperial Sugar Company announced that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share payable on March 10, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 1, 2011.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Demand for cattle drives up prices
Texas Business notes this story by the Amarillo Globe-News:  At $1.9 billion in annual sales, the cattle business in the Panhandle and surrounding region is a major economic force, and soaring prices are attracting more attention from the ranch to the grocery store. Full Story »

Oregon Dairy To Close, Herd Sold To Texas Dairy

Texas Business notes this story by Cara Pallone of the Statesman-Journal:  After 56 years of providing milk to communities throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley, Mallorie's Dairy is closing. 

 Full Story »

Canadian scale firm buys Weatherford livestock scale maker
Texas Business notes this story by Canadian Cattlemen:  A Saskatoon manufacturer of industrial weigh scales for livestock, trucking and bulk commodities plans to expand its U.S. reach by buying a Texas firm in the same line of work. Full Story »

Plague of Pigs in Texas
Texas Business notes this story by John Morthland of The Smithsonian:  About 50 miles east of Waco, Texas, a 70-acre field is cratered with holes up to five feet wide and three feet deep.
 Full Story »

Cotton harvest up significantly
Texas Business notes this story in Southwest Farm Press: As predicted at the beginning of the 2010 growing season, farmers harvested a lot more cotton this year. Full Story »

Texas Dairy Industry Disappearing | Dairy, dairy business, dairy economics, abil_txbz, amar_txbz. aust_txbz, beau_pta_txbz, brn_har_txbz, colsta_bry_txbz, corp_chr_txbz,  dal_ftw_txbz, elp_txbz, hou_txbz, kil_tem_fth_txbz, lar_txbz, lngv_txbz, lub_txbz, mca_edi_miss_txbz, mid_txbz, odes_txbz, sanang_txbz, sanant_txbz, shrm_den_txbz,  txrkn_txbz, tyl_txbz, vic_txbz, wac_txbz, wicfal_txbz, Rachel Stobaugh,

Dairy Cattle. Photo by Rachel Stobaugh. Copyright 2010.
Texas Dairy Industry Disappearing Full Story »
By Rachel Stobaugh, special to Texas Business

South of I-20, state is dry to droughty
Texas Business notes this story by Robert Burns of Texas Agriife News:  South of U.S. Interstate 20, agricultural producers were experiencing either abnormally dry weather or in a moderate drought, with pockets of severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Full Story »

Texas Horse Business in Jeopardy
Texas Business notes this story by Nick Lawton of NewsWest 9:  ODESSA - When a horse racing park in Austin lost their owner, that put its future on shakey ground.  Full Story »

TCFA names officers, board
Texas Business notes this story in Drovers.com:  The Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), during its 2010 Annual Convention inOklahoma City, named its officers and directors for the coming year Full Story »

Texas Tech Food Safety Researchers Participate in $2 Million Grant from USDA
Texas Business reports:  Texas Tech food safety researchers are part of a $2 million grant from the USDA aimed at improving food safety by managing antibiotic resistance in beef and dairy cattle systems in the United States and Canada. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Cotton maintains good grades, passes late storm test
Texas Business notes this story by Alyssa Dizon of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:  Despite concerns about the effect of the late October storm on the cotton quality, cotton classing grades showed no major reduction in overall quality. Full Story »

Third Consecutive Year of Funding to Improve Research in Wheat and Rice Breeding

Texas Business reports:  Monsanto Company and Texas AgriLife Research, an agency of the Texas A&M University System, announced the open call for applications for students interested in pursuing research in wheat or rice plant breeding.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Equine Dentists Shine in Court
Texas Business notes this story by Stephanie Simon of the Wall Street Journal:  Filing down horse teeth is a slobbery job. Full Story »

Sheep group's board pleased by prices for wool, lambs
Texas Business notes this story by Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times:   Twenty-year record high prices for wool and a continued strong lamb market were reflected in the mood of members and staff attending the American Sheep Industry Association’s Executive Board Meeting in San Angelo earlier this week. Full Story »

State Shuts Down East Texas Horse Sales Scam | txrkn_txbz, lngv_txbz, E-Tex Equine, Patricia Wilson, Linden,
State Shuts Down East Texas Horse Sales Scam

Texas Business reports:  LINDEN – The Texas Attorney General’s office reached an agreement with a Cass County horse seller that misrepresented the nature and health of its animals.


 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

WINDMILL COUNTRY: Good cotton price is offset by increasing costs of production
 — When the price of cotton rose over a dollar per pound in mid-October, the ink was not dry on the newspaper before I encountered comments in public that the farmers were going to get rich this year. Full Story »

Dairy Farmers of America Buy Houston’s Castro Cheese Company | hou_txbz, Castro Cheese, Palladium Equity, La Vaquita, Dairy Farmers of America,
Dairy Farmers of America Buy Houston’s Castro Cheese Company

Texas Business reports:  A Houston maker of queso fresco and other Hispanic dairy products was sold to the Dairy Farmers of America Inc. 

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

rganic farmers market kicks off new season
Texas Business notes this story by My Harlingen News:  SAN JUAN, Texas — The area’s first organic farmers market kicks off its new season this weekend in San Juan with more growers, a larger menu and an expansion into McAllen. Full Story »

Texas City area settled by black cowboys on historic list
Texas Business notes this story by T.J. Aulds of the Galveston County Daily News:  TEXAS CITY — An area in Texas City that 143 years ago was settled by former slaves now is on the list as one of the recognized historical places in the nation. Full Story »

Texas vintners blend Mediterranean grapes and great harvest in hopes of helping $1.35 billion wine industry grow
Texas Business notes this story by Eric Torbenson of the Dallas Morning News: To see the future of Texas wine, you'll need a passport and maybe some sunscreen because it's all in the Mediterranean. Full Story »

Rangers Round Up Two More Suspected Central Texas Cattle Rustlers
Texas Business notes this story by KWTX:  CENTERVILLE-- A 44-year-old Central Texas ranch manager and the 24-year-old common law wife of a man charged earlier with cattle theft have been arrested in separate incidents of cattle rustling, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said. Full Story »

Cattle collusion accusations debated
Texas Business notes this story by Jaime Bland of the Abilene Reporter-News:  In talking about the cattle market, “it all comes back to supply and demand,” said Rex Bland, a part-owner of the Cal-Tex Feedyard in Trent. Full Story »

Fruit Fanatics: Pomegranates at home in Texas
Texas Business notes this story by Clay Coppedge of Country World News:  The pomegranate has become a controversial superstar in the world of food and horticulture this year.  Full Story »

Farmers could face costly feed, fertilizer
Texas Business notes this story by Jerry Lackey by the San Angelo Standard-Times:  The Environmental Protection Agency announced it intends to grant partial waivers to increase the allowable amount of ethanol in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. Full Story »

Mesquites feel beetle mania
Texas Business notes this story by Lyxan Toledanes of the Odessa American:  Whether it’s chopped up to flavor your barbecue or growing by the hundreds in the pastures, there’s no denying that mesquite is essential to West Texas culture.
 Full Story »

Texas Firm Buys Nation's Largest Indoor Feedlot
Texas Business notes this story by Kelly Mori of the Springfield News-SunSOUTH CHARLESTON — The country’s largest indoor cattle feedlot has been purchased by a Texas company that will use the facility to breed cattle for foreign markets. Full Story »

Fort Bend County Taking Part In “Hog Out Month – Get The Hog Outta Texas”
Texas Business notes this story by Jamie Mock of Fort Bend Now:  Fort Bend County are taking part in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s “Hog Out Month – Get the Hog Outta Texas,” a statewide county challenge aimed at reducing the state’s destructive feral hog population. Full Story »

Area pecan trees to shell out good harvest this year
Texas Business notes this story by Jeanne Williams of the Temple Daily Telegram: In a nutshell, the 2010 pecan crop could be one that Texans can brag about in seasons to come. Full Story »

Crop rotation has benefits
Texas Business notes this story by Countryworldnews.com:  Crop rotation is a valuable practice in controlling weed, insect and disease problems. Full Story »

Cotton futures hit 15-year high; good soil moisture credited
Texas Business notes this story by Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times:  Cotton gin chatter continues to reel following last week’s futures market hitting a 15-year high as trading rose more than $1 per pound. Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Spanish goat ranchers in West Texas are becoming a growing breed
Texas Business notes this story by Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times:  Since the mid-1990s when Boer goats were increasing the goat inventory across the Lone Star State, Robert Kensing said nothing but Spanish would have a home on his Menard County ranch. Full Story »

Wheat researchers combine forces to battle major disease

Texas Business reports:   AMARILLO – Wheat streak mosaic virus is the most prevalent disease in the southwestern wheat producing region of the U.S., according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas snow: Taylor cotton gin handles hefty crop
Texas Business notes this story by the Texas Daily Press:  Driving along the roads around Taylor, it’s not uncommon to see pieces of white fluff floating along in the wind or snagged on roadside plants.  Full Story »

Fehr Foods Group plans $84M deal
Texas Business notes this story by Jaime Adame of the Abilene Reporter News:  Longtime cookie manufacturer Fehr Foods likely soon will be under new ownership, as South American food giant Grupo Nacional de Chocolates S.A. has announced plans to acquire the Abilene-based company for $84 million. Full Story »

Aflatoxin in the Corn Crop - From the Ground Up
Texas Business notes this story by KBTX:  A mycotoxin is a naturally occurring chemical that is produced by fungi growing on grain.   Full Story »

Nobody Wants the 500 Pound Bale
 Texas Business notes this story in the Daily Yonder:  Larhea Pepper tells how she and a group of Panhandle cotton raisers turned around their farms and their community. Full Story »

AgriLife economist: Cotton demand, supply leading to price rally | colsta_bry
AgriLife economist: Cotton demand, supply leading to price rally
COLLEGE STATION – Tight supplies and speculative investment money entering the commodities market have fueled cotton prices, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist. Full Story »

Famous Mill Goes Away As King Cotton's Reign Fades
Texas Business notes this story by Sea Stachura of NPRAfter selling cotton to textile factories for almost 150 years, the S.M. Whitney Co., run by descendants of cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney, is set to close. Full Story »

Limestone Co. chicken farms facing poultry odor crackdown
Texas Business notes this story by Mark Wiggins of KXXV:  LIMESTONE COUNTY - For years, residents just outside the town of Mexia, 35 miles east of Waco, have been fighting a battle over a bad smell. Full Story »

Mexico's New Tariffs Closely Watched by Texas Agriculture
Texas Business notes this story by the Farmer-Stockman:  Texas agricultural commodities - such as shelled peanuts and cheeses - are among the latest to the make updated list of tariffs imposed by Mexico. Full Story »

Tech performs groundbreaking research on cotton nonwovens
Texas Business notes this story by Brian Howard of the Daily Toreador:  Texas Tech’s Institute of Environmental and Human Health is performing cutting edge research on new uses and applications of cotton nonwovens with continued support from the U.S. cotton industry and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Full Story »

AgriLife Research project aims at decreasing corn irrigation requirements
Texas Business notes this story posted on Molecular Station's Science News site:  ETTER -- Dr. Wenwei Xu cannot pinpoint a gene that allows drought resistance or water efficiency in corn, but he is definitely drawing nearer to providing producers with corn exhibiting those traits. Full Story »

Teen celebrates her lamb's top showing in fine wool competition
Texas Business notes this story by Sidney Levesque of the Abilene Reporter-News:  Harli Belk, 14, hugged her lamb tightly and stroked its face Saturday at the Taylor County Expo Center after winning first place in the medium weight fine wool contest at the West Texas Fair & Rodeo. Full Story »

Texas cotton, grain promising
Texas Business notes this story by the Southwest Farm Press: Texas cotton and grain farmers are poised to harvest bumper yields from the 2010 crop, based on recent USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates. Full Story »

Mussel invasion is threat to area
Texas Business notes this story by Charles Cruz of the San Angelo Standard-Times:   — Invasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have been confirmed to have spread from Lake Texoma into the headwaters of Lake Lavon, and experts fear they could eventually spread throughout the Red River and Trinity River watersheds. Full Story »

Accused cattle thief arrested in Falls County
Texas Business notes this story by Louis Ojeda of KXXV:  MARLIN - A McLennan County man was arrested Thursday for allegedly stealing four head of cattle in Falls County, about 30 miles northeast of Temple. Full Story »

Texas Crop Report
Texas Business notes the crop report by Texas Agrilife.  Full Story »

Rainwater harvesting could help stem Houston storm-water flooding
Texas Business notes this story by Justin Mechell of Texas Agrilife: HOUSTON -- Considering all the rain and flooding that Harris County gets -- with or without tropical storms -- one wouldn't think that rainwater harvesting would be a hot topic. Full Story »

Lamb market at record levels
Texas Business notes this story by Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard Times:  The market for lambs continues to hold at record levels, and wool prices are still the highest since the late 1980s. Full Story »

Spec fund buying amid supply tightness drives cotton to big gains
Texas Business notes this story in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:  Speculative fund buying and bullish options-related activity amid ongoing acute tightness of available supplies have driven cotton futures to new 2-year highs. Full Story »

Garza County man accused of stealing cattle turns himself in
Texas Business notes this story by KCBD:  The Garza County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that a Garza County man, accused of stealing between 30 to 35 head of cattle from a Randall County rancher on two different occasions, turned himself in.  Full Story »

Arugula: Superhero of the Organic Farm
Texas Business notes this story by Carol Ann Sayle of The Atlantic:  I just finished sowing this year's 15th crop of arugula. It was a bit difficult to get the soil moist enough for germination, as the air is dry and the heat is horrific. Full Story »

Troup Firm Wins U.S. Army Horse Contract
Texas Business reports:  Don Anderson doing-business-as Texas White Horse Ranch in Troup won a U.S. Army Contract to sell nine horses, the U.S. Army announced today. Full Story »
Texas Business

Strong export sales, solid mill use help drive cotton to new highs

Texas Business notes this story by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:  A combination of factors — strong weekly U.S. export sales, solid domestic mill use, crop concerns and technical considerations, among others — has powered cotton futures to new two-year highs.

 Full Story »

Organic farmers market expanding to McAllen, Facebook

Texas Business notes this story by Rod Santa Ana of Texas Agrilife:  EDINBURG -- Hidalgo County's first farmers market is ready for a new season with new classes, new street signs, a presence on Facebook and a new market in McAllen, according to organizers.

 Full Story »

SMU Cox’s O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom Launches Annual Report

Texas Business reports:  The O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom at SMU Cox announces its first annual report essay, The Ascension of DFW – How to Keep a Good Thing Going.  

 Full Story »
Texas Business

USDA To Build Office In Knox City, Requires Project Manager To Speak English
Texas Business reports:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today it would take bids for a office to built at the James E. “Bud” Smith Plant Materials Center Farm office in Knox City, Texas. Full Story »
Texas Business

It's been a long, bumpy road for ethanol
Texas Business notes this story by Alex Mills in the San Angelo Standard-Times: I recently drove to northern Iowa for a reunion of my Army unit, and I was impressed by the amount of corn grown in the Midwest. Thousands upon thousands of acres of huge corn stalks that my father — a farmer in central Texas in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s — could only dream about growing in the hot summers of the Southwest. Full Story »

Cotton to Decline as Bigger U.S., India Crops Increase Supply

Texas Business notes this story by Thomas Kutty Abraham of Bloomberg: Cotton prices may decline as India prepares to resume exports from October and the U.S., the top shipper, harvests the biggest crop in three years, an Indian traders’ group said.

 Full Story »

New Voluntary Cattle Program in Texas Could Enhance Marketing

Texas Business notes this story in the San Saba News & Star:  A new voluntary cattle health program can help ranchers market their breeding animals by reassuring buyers that bulls are free of cattle trichomoniasis, an infection that can be spread during breeding, and which can cause cows to abort and take a long time to become pregnant again.

 Full Story »

South Texas needs dry weather

Texas Business notes this story by Ron Smith of Southwest Farm Press: Farmers likely will not see the high yields and top quality they had hoped for early in the season.

 Full Story »

Authorities search for cattle rustlers

Texas Business notes this story in ConnectAmarillo.com:  ARMSTRONG COUNTY, TEXAS -- The problem of cattle rustling hasn't gone away.

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Coryell County seeks ways to control feral hogs
Texas Business notes this story by Taylor Short of the Killeen Daily Herald:  In the squeeze of a tight budget season, Coryell County is hoping increased coordination between landowners can aid trappers against destructive animals and draw state attention to the problem. Full Story »

Texas Crop Report

Texas Business notes the Agrilife Extension crop report:  A "very unusual alignment of factors" means Texas could have an unusually large cotton crop that coincides with high prices in the market, according to aTexas AgriLife Extension Service cotton expert.

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Craig Shook new Cotton Board chairman
Texas Business notes this story by the Southwest Farm Press:  The Cotton Board’s newly elected chairman, Texas cotton producer Craig Shook, took the podium.    Full Story »

Cotton hits new highs in face of record output on Texas High Plains

Texas  Business recommends this column by  Duane Howell of the Lubbock Avalanche- Journal:  A surprising cut in U.S. ending stocks for 2010-11 and a steep reduction in world stocks linked to prior-year revisions powered cotton futures to new seasonal highs last week.

 Full Story »

Federal Program Hopes to Prevent Another Dust Bowl
Texas Business notes this story by Kate Galbraith of the Texas Tribune: Lynn County Judge H.G. Franklin pilots his four-wheel drive Cadillac Escalade along a desolate patch of land he owns outside Tahoka.  Full Story »

Texas on track for bumper cotton crop

Texas Business notes this story by Fox34News:  The numbers have sprouted, and as predicted, it looks like Texas is on track for a bumper cotton crop.

 Full Story »

South Texas Cotton Harvest Begins
 .Projections for total Texas cotton crop are around 9.5 million bales, with dryland yields in the 1.5 to 2 bales per acre range. This is about what I expect to see locally. The overall good yield projections can be attributed to above normal soil moisture conditions, improved cotton varieties, and success of the Boll Weevil Eradication Program. Full Story »

Market to Menu movement promotes South Plains produce
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Alyssa Dixon of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: By partnering with the Downtown Art Market, South Plains fruit and vegetable farmers hope to encourage the public to shop, cook and eat local produce. 
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Cotton Prices to Trade at ‘Historically High’ Levels
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Wendy Pugh of Bloomberg Businessweek: Cotton prices, which have advanced 27 percent in the past 12 months, may trade around current “historically high” levels until at least the U.S. harvest at the end of the year. Full Story »

Sick Texas Sheep May Aid Tay-Sachs Fight
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Lauren F. Friedman of the Jewish Daily Forward:  Fred and Joan Horak have been ranchers since 1985, so 11 years ago, when Joan noticed that two lambs from her flock had tilted heads and wobbly legs, she knew something was amiss.   Full Story »

Cotton Center farmer cashes in on TDA grant
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Fox34NewsThe Texas Department of Agriculture is looking to keep farming and ranching a Texas tradition. Full Story »

Texas Angora genes to improve Asian stock

TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times:  Genetics from top selling and indexing animals and five additional Angora bucks were sold to Tajikistan.

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More Central Texas farmers are cultivating crops of tourists
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Bill Teeter of the Waco Tribune-Herald:   A growing number of tourist and outdoor sports enterprises are sprouting up on the state’s farms and ranches. Full Story »

Texas rice farmers hopeful for end to Cuba embargo
TexasBusiness.com notes this story by Tim Eaton of the Houston Chronicle:  EGYPT, Texas — Tributes to Fidel Castro, statues of Che Guevara and photographs of Elian Gonzalez might not line the streets of this rice-growing town, but make no mistake about it: The farmers here are pro-Cuba. Full Story »

Pick Your Own Produce
TexasBusiness.com points to this story in the Abilene Reporter-News: At Childress Farms,  instead of the farmer bringing you the fresh produce, you  pick it on your own. Full Story »

National beef group's use of marketing funds eyed
TexasBusiness.com recommends this San Antonio Express-News story by William Pack: Texas cattle ranchers are keeping a close eye on an evolving investigation into how a respected beef association handled funds raised to promote beef sales. Full Story »

High Plains cotton crop looks strong

TexasBusiness.com points to this story by Richard Porter of MyPlainview.com: If everything stays on track, the High Plains could be looking at a record cotton crop this year, according to area experts.

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Outlook brightens for sheep industry
TexasBusiness.com notes: Even with some of the best economic indicators in more than two decades, the sheep industry in West Texas is still shrinking, but that trend could change with the help of a new program devised by a Sonora industry leader, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard Times.  Full Story »

Texas cotton crop is HUGE!

TexasBusiness.com notes:  “Given the bright outlook for Texas cotton, I expect this year’s harvest, assuming a 5 percent abandonment, to be around 9.5 million bales, which would be a record crop. Good weather will be boosted by new varieties that can easily yield 3 bales to 4 bales per acre on irrigated land. With these moisture conditions, dryland cotton could do 1.5 bales to 2 bales per acre," reports the Southwest Farm Press.

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Amarillo’s Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold'ems 10 oz. Bag Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

TexasBusiness.com reports:  Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo  is extending its July 2, 2010 recall of 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold’Ems)” pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of “Texas Hold’ems” (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. 

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TexasBusiness.com

Texas Angora goat genetics destined for Tajikistan

TexasBusiness.com reports:  The 30th annual Sonora Angora Goat Performance Test sale took an unusual twist. The genetics from the top selling and indexing animals and five additional sale bucks are destined for flock improvement in Tajikistan, a former USSR republic, according to an international consultant.

 Full Story »
TexasBusiness.com

Texas Crop Report
TexasBusiness.com notes:  Rain interrupted harvesting of row crops and hay in many parts of the state, but brought some relief from heat, and greened up pastures and rangeland, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.  Full Story »

Littlefield Goes Green With Biodiesel
TexasBusiness.com notes:  In the heart of Littlefield's cotton industry, you will find a biodiesel plant called Texas Green. Anyone can use their alternative fuel with little or no modifications to their car, simply if they have a diesel engine, reports Christie Post of KCBD.com. Full Story »

WIPP salt headed to feed cattle in West Texas

TexasBusiness.com notes:  CARLSBAD — Having spent the past 250 million years or so half a mile underground, salt excavated at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is now on its way to help feed cattle in Texas.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office has worked out an agreement to transfer 300,000 tons of run-of-mine salt from WIPP to Magnum Blue Ribbon Feeds over a five-year period, reports the Carlsbad Current-Argus. 

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Cotton sensitive to Texas crop
TexasBusiness.com notes: So far this year, west Texas and south Texas are experiencing “some of the best moisture levels in years — or some farmers say, decades, and one farmer told me it’s the best he’s seen in his lifetime. Of course, the crop isn’t in the warehouse yet, and August-September heat in west Texas can be very hard on it," reports Hembree Brandon of Southwest Farm Press. Full Story »

Farm bureau targets eminent domain
TexasBusiness.com notes:  It’s the top priority for the Texas Farm Bureau to get eminent domain reform, Regan Beck, TFB’s assistant general counsel of public policy, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Texas rice farmers hope Cuba embargo ends
TexasBusiness.com notes:  Tributes to Fidel Castro, statues of Che Guevara and photographs of Elian Gonzalez might not line the streets of this rice-growing town, but make no mistake about it: The farmers here are pro-Cuba, reports Tim Eaton of the Austin American-Statesman staff.  Full Story »

Rolling Plains producers consider canola

TexasBusiness.com  notes: Growing interest has been sparked by some success of winter canola on the Rolling Plains. At twice the price of wheat, it looks promising, but it also has twice its share of problems, Texas AgriLife Research scientists said. Dr. John Sij, AgriLife Research cropping systems coordinator and agronomist, and David Jones, a research associate, have been planting canola on the AgriLife Research station south of Chillicothe for seven years, reports Kay Ledbetter of the Southwest Farm Press.

 Full Story »

Texas Crop Report

TexasBusiness.com notes:  For the most part, hot, rainless days dried out saturated fields, but caused concern for some that the brief respite from drought might be over, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports.

 Full Story »

Goats compete for crowns at showdown
 The inaugural Goat Showdown and Pen Sale on Saturday at the Rusk County Youth Expo Center, saw about 50 goats of varying breeds take center stage. Prairie View A&M University Extension Agent René McCracken with the East Texas Goat Raisers Association put on the event to teach people how to show their goats, reports Jim Alford of the Longview News-Journal.  Full Story »

White eyes, foot-wide flowers, maroon plants

VERNON – With a little cross-breeding and some determination, Dr. Dariusz Malinowski, Texas AgriLife Research plant physiologist and forage agronomist in Vernon, is trying to add more colors to the world of hibiscuses. Malinowski is working on breeding winter-hardy hibiscus in what started as a hobby about four years ago, but in the last year has been added to the strategic plan of the Vernon research program, reports Kay Ledbetter of AgriLife News. 

 

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Sheep and goat raisers get good and bad news
KERRVILLE — Although a mixed bag of good and bad news highlighted all three days of the 95th Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ convention, ranchers left here much the same way they arrived — with smiles and perhaps added optimism that the future will be tough, but worth the gamble, reports the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Disease evident in Texas peanuts
 Diseases are beginning to show up in West Texas peanut fields.
“We are beginning to find early leaf spot in area peanut fields, as we have anticipated for a couple of weeks,” says Scott A Russell, Texas AgriLife integrated pest management specialist for Terry and Yoakum Counties, reports Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Beck Ranch founder began with sheep
 SAN ANGELO, Texas — The first sheep to graze the grassy hillsides of Coleman County were herded in from Missouri by John Louis Firmin Beck and his brother, Henry Charles Beck, in 1877.  The brothers’ father, Henry Beck, had raised sheep in Alsace-Lorraine, a French province, before migrating to the United States in the mid-1800s. Constant battling for Beck’s homeland by France and Germany led him and his wife, Melanie Etiene, to journey to Black Walnut, Mo., where they continued to raise sheep, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times.

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Central Texas rural land values outperform statewide numbers
 Rural property owners in Central Texas came out ahead in land values in 2009, compared to other areas of the state.  While rural land values in the state dropped about 7 percent last year, a nine-county area including McLennan County saw rural tracts increase 6 percent in value, according to data from the Texas A&M University Real Estate Center, reports Bill Teeter of the Waco Tribune-Herald.  Full Story »

Farm and Ranch Advocates for Cuba Trrade
 Waller County rancher Tom Paben has never sold beef to Cuba, largely because of a half-century-old trade and travel embargo. But Paben is optimistic he will, now that Congress is considering a bill that would allow U.S. tourists to travel to the island nation and would lift restrictions on how Cubans can pay for American agricultural goods, reports Jenalia Moreno of the Houston Chronicle.  Full Story »

Corn is king on East Texas family ranch
 Lamar County farmer and rancher Trent Jones of Jones Farm has been in the business of farming and ranching all his life thanks to his father.  Throughout the years, he has become familiar with the ups and downs of not only the market, but the quality of the crop -- particularly corn, for the last 20 years, reports Mindy Riffle of Country World.  Full Story »

Cotton Falls Signs Crop in Texas Improving
 Cotton fell for the third time in four sessions on signs that crop conditions are improving in Texas, the biggest producing state in the U.S., the world’s top exporter, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.  Full Story »

Sunflowers and diversity in Grayson County
 Chad Wetzel jokes about picking up a few dollars by charging visitors who stop to take photos in the sunflower fields he and his father Bruce planted this spring, instead of taking a prevented planting option on the wheat they couldn’t plant last fall.  SunflowersSUNFLOWERS offer passersby a scenic view in Grayson County, Texas, but farmers Bruce Wetzel and his son Chad hope for more than a pretty picture from the crop, reports Ron Smith of the Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

WINDMILL COUNTRY: Ninety-fifth Texas Sheep and GoatRaisers convention starts today
 When Lee Weddell Puckitt relinquishes the gavel as president of Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association this weekend, he will do so with mixed emotions.  It’s been one of the fastest year’s of my life, said Puckitt, a fourth-generation rancher who has almost put his personal life on hold for the last 12 months, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Valley Produce Business Booms
 WILLACY COUNTY —Watermelons the size of a medicine ball filled a wooden bin near the golf ball-sized tangerines and the baseball-sized tomatoes as the breeze circulated through the Gonzalez Fruit Market on a recent morning, reports Cory Ryan of the Valley Morning Star. Full Story »

Urban concerns make one couple opt for the country life
 Sustainable living is healthy and hip, but one local couple learned it's not always easy goating, reports Steve Watkins of DFW.com.  

 

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Family marks seven generations of farming
 For the Elliott family in Houston County, most people would probably say raising peas is in their blood.  For seven generations now they have been growing peas — for themselves and for sale, reports Wayne Stewart of the Palestine Herald-Press.   Full Story »

Texas crops status
 COLLEGE STATION -- With few exceptions, hay meadows, rangeland and row crops continued to respond to rain received from tropical storms, reports Robert Burns with Texas Agrilife.  Full Story »

Raising Goats On Small Acreage
 t’s becoming more and more common for people to own small tracts of rural land, and many of these people want to be involved in raising livestock of some kind. In this week’s From The Ground Up, Joe Brown tells us that you don’t have to have a lot of improved pasture land to raise goats, reports Joe Brown of KBTX.  Full Story »

No longer over a financial barrel: Cap*Rock Winery
 Picture Lubbock as the sparkling wine capital of the Lone Star State. If you can't, Laurent Gruet can. And the second-generation winemaker from the Champagne region of France is about to put $6.5 million behind that dream, reports Walt Nett of the Amarillo Globe-News.  Full Story »

New expanded registry will benefit Texas wine industry
 AUSTIN – Wine-grape growers interested in selling their fruit, as well as winemakers interested in buying wine grapes or selling bulk wine, may find their "connection" through the new Texas Wine Grape Registry, reports TexasAgriLife.  Full Story »

Family's goat products are farmers market success
 A computer geek on weekdays, Troy Gasaway becomes the farmer entrepreneur on weekends. From his booth at the Beaumont Farmers Market in the city's downtown library parking lot, Gasaway, 36, sells products made from goats' milk - cheeses, yogurt and soap - as well as fresh chickens' eggs, reports Kyle Peveto for the Beaumont Enterprise.  Full Story »

Shrimpers heading out of Palacios Port working against many odds

TexasBusiness.com points you to this Victoria Advocate story by Adriana Acosta:  PALACIOS - The port here is quiet. The waters are calm and only the boats that have returned from white shrimp season are docked, patiently waiting for next year's season.

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New herbicide-tolerant sorghums to be featured at July 28 field day
 CLAUDE – Farmers will have the opportunity to view plots of the new “over-the-top” herbicide technology in sorghum during a July 28 field day south of Claude, said Dr. Brent Bean, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist in Amarillo. Full Story »

Study examines rice photosynthesis
 “We want to know what makes hybrids tick,” said Dr. Ted Wilson, director, Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont. Hybrid plants typically yield more per acre than the average of their parent lines or a variety check, reports Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Hayter Ranch marks 100 years of raising cattle, horses
 The Hayter Ranch, 40 miles west of Fort Stockton in Pecos County, has been in continuous agricultural production by the same family for 100 years. In turn, the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Family Land Heritage Program will honor the descendants of Robert Pippen Hayter, who established the Hayter Ranch in 1910, in special ceremonies in Austin, writes Jerry Lackey for the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Ranchers send local, hormone-free beef directly to you
 BEAUMONT, Texas — Across the pastures of James Gentz Jr.'s family ranch north of Winnie, longhorn cattle lie around, chew their cud and fatten up. Looking over the field, Gentz, 56, admired the breed he has raised for 30 years, known for their diverse colors, wide-set horns and hardiness in tough Texas summers, reports the Beaumont Enterprise.  Full Story »

Goat herds increasing in state's livestock circles
 TexasBusiness.com notes the story from Bill Teeter's of the Waco Tribune-Herald:  Beef cattle and longhorns likely will not be shoved aside as bulwarks of Texas’ livestock enterprises, but goat farming is getting attention as a major growth industry in the state. Full Story »

Texas shrimpers open new season with worries
 TexasBusiness.com notes: Texas shrimpers concerned about what the BP oil spill means for them are preparing for what could be a shaky season and watching the horizon for longer term changes that could bring more shrimpers from neighboring Louisiana, reports Sarah Portlock of Bloomberg Businessweek.  Full Story »

Blue Princess verbena regains its Texas Superstar horticulture business crown
 Growers and consumers should take note of the Super Star designation of this virus free plant, reports Texas Agrilife.  Full Story »

State agencies issue anthrax advisory
 The Texas Animal Health Commission, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have issued a summer and early fall alert for ranchers, hunters and anyone who may be going afield in Texas, reports Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Promising Corn Varieties To Fight Aflatoxin Showcased At Field Day
 At least $14 million in losses due to corn mycotoxins have been recorded for Texas corn producers, but the losses to Texas agriculture are likely closer to $200 million, said Dr. Seth Murray, AgriLife Research corn breeder.  Full Story »

South Texas Agricultural Flood Losses Mounting
 With no end in sight, flood waters continue to cause serious problems for a three-county area downstream from Falcon Dam on the Rio Grande, reports Cattlenetwork.com Full Story »

July rains bring cautious optimisim to farmers, ranchers
Green grass is so tall on the Chalk Springs Ranch, the result of several weeks of rainfall, Philip Glass says it’s difficult to find his Dorper sheep herd without being atop a saddle horse, reports Jerry Lackey and Jerry Watts of the San Angelo Standard-Times. 

 

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Aggie Grad Student Wins Award For Developing Heat-Tolerant Wheat
 Christopher Chick, a molecular and environmental plant science doctoral student at Texas A&M University, has been named a 2010 Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholar. The scholars program supports scientists interested in improving wheat and rice breeding, reports Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Hattermann's Yard Eggs
 It's not easy being an egg farmer. But it's what Leon Hattermann does best, reports Ruthie Johnson of the Houston Press.  Full Story »

Ag-oriented life ‘deer’ to Bentkes
 ZIONSVILLE — Michael Bentke and Allison Bryan began dating in 1992 when both were graduate students at Texas A&M University — he studying for a master’s degree in agriculture; she trailing slightly toward an ag education master’s, writes Bud Chambers for the Brenham Banner.  Full Story »

Ag-oriented life ‘deer’ to Bentkes
 ZIONSVILLE — Michael Bentke and Allison Bryan began dating in 1992 when both were graduate students at Texas A&M University — he studying for a master’s degree in agriculture; she trailing slightly toward an ag education master’s, writes Bud Chambers for the Brenham Banner.  Full Story »

Overton Grass Blankets World Cup Pitch
 TexasBusiness.com recommends:  Call it a world-class save. To rescue soccer fields being used for the World Cup in South Africa, grounds managers used a turfgrass bred and developed near Overton in East Texas, writes Robert Burns for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Full Story »

Lubbock winery's fate rests with bidders' wallets
 Many things may be settled Monday afternoon when Caprock Winery goes under a Tulsa auctioneer’s gavel, reports Walt Nett of the Lubbock Avalanche-Times.  Full Story »

Texas Soybean crop still important
 Beginning in April, Texas growers went to work putting in the state's soybean crop. Depending on the region, the trend will continue through November, reports Mindy Riffle of Country World.  Full Story »

Texas rice crop promising
Texas rice farmers are poised to make another good crop on increased acreage, but heavy rains for the last two weeks have growers concerned about disease pressure and the cost of treatments, reports Ron Smith of Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Egg business booms
 Jason Jones, co-owner of Vital Farms, believes he and his business partner and founder Matt O' Hayer may have, in his words, "broken a code" that allows them to raise organic, pasture-fed chickens and sell the eggs on a national scale, reports Clay Coppedge of Country World.  Full Story »

EPA Fines Monsanto for Distributing Misbranded Genetically Engineered Pesticide
 EPA restricted planting of the cotton seed product in 10 Texas counties (Carson, Dallam, Hansford, Hartley, Hutchison, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Roberts and Sherman) to protect against pests becoming resistant to Bt PIPs and other microbial products used in sprays and dusts.   Full Story »

Cattle Raisers pass policy on USDA’s animal disease traceability plan
 The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), the state’s largest and oldest livestock association, passed policy regarding the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new animal disease traceability plan, the San Saba News & Star reports.  Full Story »

Cotton Drops as U.S. Crops Improve
 Cotton declined for the fifth time in six sessions on improving prospects for crops in the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.  Full Story »

Longhorns shine at ranch
  Malcolm and Connie Goodman purchased five Texas Longhorn cattle in 1997 because they like the way the animals' appearance, rich history and lore, reports CountryWorldNews.com. Full Story »

Goat herds increasing in state's livestock circles
Large increases in demand are coming from growing ethnic communities for goat meat; groups such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America for show animals; and people wanting the animals for pets, or to help them manage a few acres, reports Bill Teeter of the Waco Tribune-Herald.  Full Story »

First Texas ARRA dam repair completed
 The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has completed dam repairs on Pilot Grove dam No. 28 in Collin County, which is the first American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 dam repair construction finished in the state of Texas, reports the Southwest Farm Press.  Full Story »

Ag Lending Co-ops Merge
 AgCredit of South Texas and Texas AgFinance, two Farm Credit System lending cooperatives serving South Texas, have merged. Full Story »

Hilmar eyes expansion
 Hilmar Cheese is asking the Dallam County Commissioners Court to endorse the issuance of up to $24.5 million in bonds to finance part of an expansion of its plant outside Dalhart, reports Kevin Welch of the Amarillo Globe-News.  Full Story »

Hurricane Alex may have blessed South Texas crops
  If weather cooperates in the coming weeks, Hurricane Alex's rains may actually benefit South Texas row crops that are now on the brink of harvesting, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel, reports Dbusinessnews.com Full Story »

Worm Farmer Is A Good Dirty Job
 Look no further than Jerry Schiller’s own land for proof of the worm farmer’s work ethic, reports the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Loss of pollinating bees a mystery to experts
 Scientists and beekeepers throughout the nation continue to lament the disappearance of whole colonies to a befuddling enemy called Colony Collapse Disorder, reports Barbara Elmore of Access Waco.  Full Story »

Hurricane Alex threatens sorghum yields
 All but the latest planted grain has been sprayed with Roundup, but probably only 10 percent had been harvested before rain began Tuesday, Southeast Farm Press reports.  Full Story »

US Cash Cattle Midday: No Discernable Packer Buying Interest
 Market analysts said that many Texas cattle feeders ended up holding cattle they had up for sale this week and have a weaker outlook for next week, Cattlenetwork reports. 
 Full Story »

Corn production for farmers comes down to the good, the bad and the ugly
 Depending on when you planted, and sometimes where, the Central Texas corn and milo crop this summer could be plentiful or pathetic, reports the Temple Daily Telegram.  Full Story »

Animal Response Teams Activated For Rio Grande Valley & Lower Texas Gulf Coast
 The Animal Response Team for the state of Texas has been activated to assist livestock producers and other animal owners in the wake of Hurricane Alex that is expected to make land fall in northern Mexico sometime this evening or early tomorrow morning.  Full Story »

State Agencies Issue Anthrax Advisory
 One case of anthrax has been confirmed in a white-tailed deer herd on a game ranch in Uvalde County, which is in an area of South Texas endemic to anthrax.  Full Story »

Mother and Son Arrested on Two Separate Charges of Cattle Theft
 A Marquez mother and son were arrested in Leon County on two separate charges of cattle theft. Brent Mast, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) special ranger, and Lt. Kevin Ellis, Leon County Sheriff's Department led the investigations, reports KBTX. Full Story »

Farmers fear severe damage to crops
 MONTE ALTO — Sorghum growers have been working long hours to harvest what would have been a bumper crop, farmers and agriculture experts said, reports Allen Essex of the Valley Morning Star. Full Story »

Rio Grande Valley Row Crops Vulnerable To Alex
 A severe hit from Hurricane Alex could mean the third year in a row of major crop losses in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, reports Cattlenetwork.com. Full Story »

Smithfield Shares Rally On JBS Takeover Speculation
 Shares of Smithfield Foods Inc.,which bought a majority stake in Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride last year,  the top U.S. pork producer, jumped as much as 8.3 percent today on speculation the company may be a takeover target for Brazil-based meat processor JBS S.A., reports Cattlenetwork.com.  Smithfield Foods Inc. is the top U.S. pork producer, Full Story »

FDA seeks less use of antibiotics in animals to keep them effective for humans
 Here's something that could put a damper on Big Pharma's hopes for animal health businesses. The FDA is resuming its fight against the use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals, saying that the rising tide of resistant bacteria is "an urgent public health issue,"  reports the Washington Post. 
 Full Story »

Ranch always a family venture
 Joseph Robert Mims was 17 when he struck out from Hayes County with a change of clothes and two quilts packed behind his saddle heading westward, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Ranch always a family venture
 Joseph Robert Mims was 17 when he struck out from Hayes County with a change of clothes and two quilts packed behind his saddle heading westward, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

Change aims for market fairness
 A proposed rule change that could provide new protections for livestock producers against unfair, fraudulent or retaliatory practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act was published in the Federal Register last week by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, reports the San Angelo Standard-Times.  Full Story »

A ripe time to buy Texas watermelons
 Texas and other major producing states have grown so many watermelons the price has tumbled, at times below the point where farmers break even on production costs, reports William Pack of the San Antonio Express-News.  Full Story »

Farmers from abroad visit
 From a vineyard and organic farm to a feedlot, a dairy and an irrigated cotton and wheat farm - eight people from Australia and New Zealand arrived in Amarillo on Monday to see how agriculture is done in Texas, reports the Amarillo Globe-News.  Full Story »

Ag commissioner applauds Brookshire Brothers Fresh Market for Texas products
State Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples gave kudos to Lufkin’s Brookshire Brothers Fresh Market Tuesday afternoon for promoting “all things Texas, reports the Lufkin Daily News.  Full Story »

Year looks good for Texas peach crop
  — Fans of Texas peaches have reason to rejoice.

Experts say the 2010 harvest could mean a bumper crop.

 Full Story »

Beanitos(R), the First Corn-Free Bean Chip, Smashes Initial Sales Goals
 Bean Brand(R) Foods Introduces Two New Varieties of Beanitos at Fancy Foods NYC Show and Announces Partnership with Natural/Specialty Sales and Acosta Full Story »

Extension Weed Specialist Advises Producers To Rotate Crop Herbicides
 THRALL - Texas crop farmers are advised to give serious consideration to rotating herbicides as the potential for resistance to certain compounds becomes more common, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Full Story »

Louis J. Ivey was father of El Paso area's cotton industry
 Trish Long of the El Paso Times reports on an early El Paso Farmer.   Full Story »

Corn crop concerns: Late plantings, heat, prices batter Waco-area farmers
 ith the harvest time approaching, some farmers are considering cutting the crop and chopping it up to be sold for dairy cattle feed for less money, said farmer Rodney Schmalriede, whose spread covers 1,800 acres near McGregor, reports Bill Teeter of the Waco Tribune-Herald.  Full Story »

Big verdict too much in cattle theft case in Texas
 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday struck down a $1.25 million jury award in a case involving a ranching feud, a drought and wandering cattle improperly sold for about $5,000, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.  Full Story »

Cattle Raisers pass policy on USDA's animal disease traceability plan
 The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), the state's largest and oldest livestock association, passed policy regarding the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new animal disease traceability plan. The policy was passed Friday at the association's summer meeting. Full Story »

EPA approves Tech cotton technology for use in Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup
 Fibertect™, a nonwoven cotton-carbon material, created by Seshadri Ramkumar, an associate professor of nonwoven materials for The Institute of Environmental and Human Heath, has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as a sorbent for oil application in the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, reports Merideth Murphey of the Daily Toreador.  Full Story »

Gillespie County produces about 40 percent of Texas Peaches
 Fredericksburg and Stonewall of Gillespie County produces the lion's share of Texas peaches.  Full Story »

Cattle Trails Stocker Conference announced for Wichita Falls
Kay Ledbetter of the Bandera County Courier reports the Cattle Trails Stocker Conference will be held July 24, at the MPEC Center, 1000 5th Street, in Wichita Falls. This conference is a joint effort between Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Full Story »

Heat Hits Cotton
Jerry Lackey of the Abilene Reporter News reports cotton farmers across West Texas already experience weather impact on the young crop.  Full Story »

Apples to Apples: Orchard sets the standard
 Clay Coppedge of Country World reports on the Apple Capitol of Texas:  Over the last 29 years, Love Creek Orchards has made Medina town almost synonymous with Texas. I Full Story »

Apples to Apples: Orchard sets the standard
 Clay Coppedge of Country World reports on the Apple Capitol of Texas:  Over the last 29 years, Love Creek Orchards has made Medina town almost synonymous with Texas. I Full Story »

Drug Cartel Activity Threatens Texas Water Supplies
 Joshua Rhett Miller of Fox News reports Drug cartel activity along the Mexican border presents serious security threats to the area's water supply system, particularly on federally-owned lands in southern Texas. Full Story »

Research could help cotton
Clay Coppedge of Country World reports that Thomas Isakeit, a plant pathologist with Texas AgriLife Extension, has been doing research on cotton root rot with flutrifol, which has been used in Europe to control wheat diseases.  Full Story »

U.S. Supreme Court hand down ruling in Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Case
 In a defeat for farmers and environmental groups, the U.S. Supreme Court rules for Monsanto Co. in Monsanto Co. et al v Geertson Seed Farms in a case that involves the Plant Protection Act, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Roundup Ready Alfalfa, a variety of alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide Roundup. Farmers and environmental groups believe the alfalfa can contaminate other crops.   Alito writes the majority opinion. Stephens writes the dissenting opinion.  See the full opinion here.  Full Story »

Fire threat: Taming the Wild West Industry built around clearing brush
 Jim McBride of Amarillo.com reports on Fritch's Global Frontline Solutions LLC.  Full Story »

Haystack.  | agribusiness

Haystack. Photo by K. Musa. Copyright 2010.
Haystack.
  Full Story »
Photo by K Musa. Copyright 2010.

Road Repairs To Help Salvage Wheat Harvest
 Road repair crews from 13 Texas Panhandle communities combined efforts Friday to repair roads and help save the wheat crop in flood-ravaged Hansford County. Full Story »

Cotton Prices Fall
 Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators lowered their net-long positions, or bets prices will rise, to the lowest level in nine months. Full Story »

Panhandling for Water
 The aquifer's levels are declining sharply in the Panhandle. In a dry growing season last year, the High Plains Water District, which includes all or part of 15 Panhandle counties, recorded an average drop of 1.5 feet, the most since 1997. 
 
 Full Story »

No Damage to Cotton Crop from Recent Weather
 Hail, heavy rains and strong wind gusts  left a mixture of isolated damage to South Plains crops, but producers remained optimistic about the timely rains. Full Story »

Glut of Wheat at Elevators
 Rolling Plains wheat harvest fills elevators.  Full Story »

Cattle association rangers track on rustlers
 Last year, the special rangers, working with other law officers, recovered more than 3,900 head of cattle along with other livestock – almost half the number reported stolen. Full Story »

Silo Bags' can store unsold wheat
 Although the giant bags are rather commonplace on dairy farms in the mid-West, they have been used very sparsely in West Texas for several years and are new to the Concho Valley and Big Country. Full Story »

Cotton Crop To Be Basket Buster
 According to Jay Yates, risk management specialist, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, conditions are still a little dry in central and east Texas, but overall crop condition and stand establishment across the state are above average. Full Story »

Bumper Wheat Crop Bad News
The wheat price saga continues for a second week following the cash value prices falling dramatically to less than $3 per bushel June 5. Not only does the Lone Star State’s bumper crop have farmers scrambling, elevator operators are searching for better markets. Full Story »

Chet Edwards Appointed To Key Ag Funding Post
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Waco) recently was named to the Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Subcommittee.  Edwards will serve as the only Texan on the 12-member panel.   Full Story »

Concho Valley Farmers Market In Operation
 Concho Valley Farmers Market  sells local produce and peaches from Fredericksburg. Full Story »

Cotton Prices Rise As Temperatures Rise In West Texas
 West Texas is the biggest growing area in the top cotton-producing state. A heat wave  forecast for West Texas through this weekend  could stress the area’s cotton crop and that may be boosting prices,  Full Story »

Texas Crop Report
Cotton under pressure, cattle doing well.   Full Story »

Young farmers A Vanishing Breed
Justin Young, a 32-year-old Marlin farmer, is becoming a rarity in agriculture.    Full Story »

Irving Firm Buys Nebraska Rendering Company
Darling International buys Nebraska By-Products. Full Story »

West Texas Commodities
Prices for West Texas commodities. Full Story »

Terrible Prices For Huge West Texas Wheat Harvest
While volumes of wheat are reaching record yields, prices have fallen to forty-year lows. Full Story »

Texas Cotton Might Swab Gulf Oil Spill
Texas Tech professor may have developed a way to use cotton for cleaning up the Gulf oil spill Full Story »

Pick Your Own Produce Farms Increase
Pick your own produce farms are increasing in the Brazos Valley. Full Story »

Drought Affects Agriculture In East Texas
The hay harvest is behind schedule.  The drought is affecting East Texas agribusiness.  Full Story »

Grain Elevator collapses

 Full Story »

State grants available for stream clean-up

 Full Story »