Maggie Creek Ranch and the Searle family of Elko, Nevada, were recognized at the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention as the national winners of the 2015 Environmental Stewardship Award, created to recognize ranchers for their commitment to outstanding land management practices which create healthy, balanced ecosystems. The ranch had worked in collaboration with several federal agencies and private partners like Trout … Read More
OCA Supports Hammond's Not Illegal Activity
A story impacting agriculture has been brewing out west for the last couple of days. National news outlets have picked it up and it seems everyone has an opinion of the Hammond family ranchers who were re-sentenced after already spending time in jail after pleading guilty to arson on federal lands. But the story doesn’t end there. A self-proclaimed militia … Read More
$40 Million to Help Ranchers Restore Sage Grouse Habitat
There will be $40 million available to help ranchers and other partners in 11 western states restore and protect sagebrush habitat for greater sage-grouse on privately-owned land. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this investment is part of USDA’s four-year, $211 million Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0 through the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) partnership. The WLFW partnership uses seven focus species, … Read More
New Resources for Beginning & New Farmers
According to research from American Farmland Trust (AFT), many beginning farmers and ranchers find identifying the right land to purchase or lease—at an affordable price—to be one of their most significant challenges. Accessing the capital needed to start or expand a farm business is also hard. AFT’s Farmland Information Center (FIC) along with Farm Credit is offering free new online … Read More
Low-Moisture Blocks Bring Cows Back to Range
A solution has arrived for cow and calf operations that struggle with range cows who refuse leave the comforts of an adjacent riparian area to graze on lower quality forage: research is showing that low-moisture block supplements, such as Ridley Block’s BioBarrel®, are incredible long term attractants, with greater success than range cakes, and are helping producers by allowing their … Read More
Sage Grouse Stays off Endangered Species List
Western rangelands and livestock producers received good news from Interior Secretary Sally Jewell when she announced the greater sage grouse was not warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service announced that their restrictive land use plans will be implemented. The Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association … Read More
Public Lands Council Hosts Annual Meeting
Ranchers are gathering this week in Cody, Wyo., for the 2015 Public Lands Council (PLC) annual meeting. PLC’s annual meeting will focus on legislative and regulatory updates. “Each year this meeting gets better, and this year will be no exception,” said Brenda Richards, PLC president. “Ranchers in the West have had some great wins over the past year, including the … Read More
Learn How to Keep the Farm in the Family
We are seeing fewer and fewer young people returning the their family operations and just because you are blood doesn’t mean you have a right to the farm. Succession planning is one step many families forget about when it comes to the future. AgriLegacy is a growing Midwest company whose main focus is helping farm families keep the farms in … Read More
Marketing to Producers in the Techie Age
Jared Spader has a strong and diverse background in agriculture. Currently, he is the US operations lead for AgCall, which serves as a human resources, project management and consulting firm for the ag community. Jared’s experience as a producer and marketer led him to moderate the producer panel at the recent NAMA Bootcamp. The panel is always a highlight for … Read More
Missouri Highlights Sustainable & Responsible Producers
Missouri Department of Agriculture held a press conference on the opening day of the Missouri State Fair about the launch of their Agriculture Stewardship Assurance Program (ASAP). The program goals are to encourage sustainable agricultural practices throughout the state, increase consumer confidence in Missouri agriculture and provide global marketing opportunities for the state’s producers. ASAP is a verification program that … Read More