Samuel Blumenfeld, a prolific author on education in America, once wrote, “History is an exercise in remembering.” To me, history reminds us who we are, where we have been and shapes our lives going forward. With that in mind,...

By Steve Adler California Farm Bureau Federation Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the agricultural overtime bill, Assembly Bill 1066, employment specialists are working to interpret its provisions and help farmers and ranchers prepare for them. The new law will...

Cotton producers in West Texas got a sneak peak at up to a dozen potential new varietal releases during Deltapine's annual field day at Blaine Nichols Farm near Seminole. Nichols and his father, Mark, are two of about 200 producers nationwide that participate in Deltapine's NPE, or New Product Evaluators, program. For the past 10 years or so, the Nichols have planted advanced experimental lines in large 3- to 5-acre plots. They farm the plots as they would their commercial acreage, with each plot being harvested, graded and milled separately. Come December or January when the data on the experimental varieties has been disseminated, NPE producers participate in a conference call to vote on the varieties they think should be released. Between the experimental and commercial varieties, the Nichols have about 20 Deltapine large-scale plots on their farm this season. Mark says they continue to participate because of the benefits the NPE trials provide the industry. Blaine says he's anxious to see how the new XtendFlex system will work once the low-volatility formulation of dicamba is registered. The varieties have been engineered to contain genes that impart resistance to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides sprayed over the top. Although the Nichols have several XtendFlex varieties on their farm, the plants were only sprayed over the top with Roundup. Blaine stays on top of weeds using the Roundup Ready system as well as several different residual herbicides. He also has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to weeds, but he says controlling Palmer amaranth and Russian thistle as well as a host of others is a constant challenge.

I grew up on a farm in Louisiana and have been involved in agriculture my entire life. Serving as state vice president and president of Future Farmers of America (FFA) while in high school and college set the course...

Texan Named In Faces Of Farming And Ranching A Texan has been named one of the eight finalists in the third class of Faces of Farming and Ranching by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). Texas Farm Bureau member Jeremy Brown...

ARKANSAS The National Agricultural Statistics Service August Crop Production report projects Arkansas producers will harvest 1,052 pounds lint per acre. The August estimate last year projected a record-high yield of 1,226 pounds lint per acre, surpassing the previous record set...

It surely must be those indelible moments etched in youthful memories that somehow mold or guide us toward what we eventually become. For me, it could have been that family friend I visited often in McComb, Miss., on what...

I have written multiple articles about contamination — which also has received a focus at several recent industry meetings — because U.S. cotton is facing fierce competition from other growths and man-made fibers. Unfortunately, we continue to receive more than...

Cotton Council International (CCI) the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) export promotions arm, is vigorously promoting U.S. cotton worldwide among yarn spinners, fabric/garment manufacturers, brands/retailers and consumers. How is CCI executing its strategy? Working from 20 offices covering more than 50 countries in...

After rallying to the upper 70 cents per pound range during the month of July, new crop cotton futures prices appear to be working their way back down. For much of 2016, new crop cotton futures prices seemed to be stuck in an upper 50 cents to low 60 cents per pound trading range. All of the fundamental supply and demand news pointed to larger acreage and larger production in 2016. With no significant signs of improved domestic or export demand, the potential for a large 2016 crop weighed heavily on the market.However, as the summer progressed, the development of hot, dry conditions in Texas and parts of Georgia along with dry conditions in India began to foster concerns of lower cotton supplies. This introduced a considerable amount of risk premium in the markets and helped support prices. Speculative interests took this momentum and continued to push prices higher by going from a net short position (selling more contracts then purchasing) in early 2016 to the highest net long position (purchasing more contracts then selling) in more than two years. However, this has brought prices to levels that are not fully supported by the underlying supply and demand fundamentals.

Driving down the road at sunrise enjoying the taste and aroma of a hot cup of coffee is just the beginning of the sensory experience of farming that lasts throughout the day. A comfortable familiarity with the tasks at...

Before members of Congress left Washington for the political conventions and August recess, the House of Representatives passed a 2017 appropriations bill that included California drought-relief provisions. California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger says passage of the appropriations legislation by the House represents an important step toward addressing problems that limit the flexibility of the California water system. By a vote of 231-196, the House passed the 2017 Interior appropriations bill, HR 5538, including the California-related water provisions. The inclusion of the provisions on water could help set the stage for negotiations with the U.S. Senate this fall, says Erin Huston, CFBF federal policy consultant.“This is the first time the House has passed an Interior bill since 2009, which can be seen as a milestone in itself,” Huston says. “This bill provides a potential path for desperately needed federal drought legislation. We are still working under a very limited calendar, but we will continue to urge a federal legislative solution.”

The great philosopher, Socrates, once said that "the key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be." Those who had the privilege of knowing Jack Hamilton would most certainly agree that he was the epitome...

By Kay Ledbetter Texas A&M University After eight years of research on no-till advantages and disadvantages with cotton crops, Dr. Paul DeLaune is convinced it’s not as much about the tillage as it is about the cover crop and/or rotation. DeLaune,...

Growers Pair Conservation Tillage With Winter Cover Crops To Reduce Soil Erosion And Improve Water Infiltration By Vicky Boyd Managing Editor With conservation deep seeded in his roots, Walter Lentz is a firm believer in cover crops and reduced tillage to help minimize...