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The US rural population is growing again after a decade of decline, according to USDA’s 2023 edition of “Rural America at a Glance,” with growth of approximately a quarter percent from 2020 to 2022. This year’s report also shows America’s rural population is experiencing declines in, with -9.7% fewer nonmetro counties in 2021 experiencing persistent …

Rural America at a Glance 2023 Edition: Population Growth Rebounds as Poverty Declines Read More »

What do you get when you cross a cow and a buffalo? Yes, the result is a hybrid animal known as a “beefalo,” sometimes called a “cattalo.” Beefalo is mostly prized for its lean meat, which has higher vitamin levels and more protein than conventional beef, while having nearly one-third less cholesterol and -79% less …

Could “Beefalo” Be the Healthy Meat of the Future? Read More »

Spreading rock dust on farms, a technique known as “enhanced rock weathering,” is one of the lesser-known carbon removal strategies. According to some estimates, the extremely simple technique could potentially lock up as much CO2 as planting a trillion trees. It might also boost crop yields, according to recent research. Enhanced rock weathering is based …

“Enhanced Rock Weathering” Can Sequester Carbon and Enhance Crop Yields Read More »

“Agrivoltaics” is the use of land for agriculture and solar energy generation. Sometimes referred to as agrophotovoltaics or dual-use solar, the aim of the concept is to help keep farmland in production, in turn easing the land-use conflict that often surrounds solar installations in rural America. According to the US Department of Energy, solar accounted …

Merging Crops and Solar with “Agrivoltaics” Read More »

Humans have lofty goals of spreading out across the universe and establishing outposts on the moon, Mars, and beyond. While the technologies that will carry us to these distant locales continues to advance, another major obstacle that needs to be solved is food production. At University of Nebraska-Lincoln, engineers Yufeng Ge and Santosh Pitla want …

Working to Create the First Center for “Space Agriculture” Read More »

Livestock guardian dogs are one of agriculture’s unsung heroes. These highly specialized dogs have been used by humans for centuries to protect sheep, cattle, and other domestic livestock against predators. Despite their long history, guardian dogs have only been commonly used in the US since around the late 1970s. As a result, many livestock producers …

Livestock Guardian Dogs are Making a Comeback Read More »

The farm labor shortage is a persistent pain point for producers across America. Researchers at Mississippi State University have developed a two-fingered robotic arm that works with camera-based perception system to identify and pluck one cotton boll at a time. The new “end-effector” is seen as potential game changer for cotton producers. In robotics, an …

New “End-Effector” Developed by MSU Researchers is Potential Game-Changer for Agriculture Read More »

With harvest mostly behind us, I thought it would be interesting to look back at how our grandparents and great-grandparents got the crops out of the fields. We truly are blessed with the advancements we have seen!  There is no debating the fact that the arrival of the combine during the middle of the 20th century had a …

What Was Harvest Like Before the Combine? Read More »

Believe it or not, we’ve once again arrived at that time of year when everyone starts offering up their outlooks for the coming New Year. That includes Amazon-owned specialty grocer Whole Foods, which just released its ninth annual trends predictions for 2024. The company calls the annual list a “way for us to pull back …

Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food Trends for 2024 Read More »

According to the 2023 ABA and Farmer Mac Agricultural Lender Survey, ag lenders estimate that more than three-quarters of their borrowers will remain profitable in 2023 and two-thirds will remain profitable through 2024. However, as concerns about inflation ease, ag bankers are growing nervous about farm liquidity and income heading into next year. Following a …

Ag Lenders Say Farmers Will Remain Profitable but Liquidity and Income are Growing Concerns Read More »