<a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT</a> K-State Research and Extension news service

Drought plaguing parts of Kansas created shorter wheat plants and thinner crop stands this year. In turn, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato advises growers to make adjustments at harvest time.

“This year, the biggest cause for short wheat has been drought stress,” he said. “During springtime, the crop starts to go through a phase called stem elongation. That’s when plant height is determined. In certain areas, there was virtually no moisture, which caused the plants to be short.”

Not all areas of Kansas have experienced this level of drought. Lollato said irregular rain patterns gave rise to significant plant height differences across counties and even in the same fields.

“The Kansas crop is not uniformly short. A very sparse and variable rainfall distribution created these ‘waves’ within areas where tall and short plants occur, simultaneously, in those locations,” he said.

According to Lollato, producers can attach stripper headers to the front of their combines to effectively harvest small wheat plants. Stripper headers separate the grain head from the remaining plant. On the other hand, traditional headers detach plants halfway down their stems.

Lollato said, “Essentially, they have fingers on them. Those fingers pluck the heads out from the stem. The stripper headers feed the combine with only the wheat heads, which means having a cleaner product go into the combine, with increased efficiency.”

Harvesting low-standing wheat plants with a stripper header can help improve soil quality in semi-arid areas.

“They leave more crop residue behind. It will act as a barrier against weeds and shade the fields, which cools soil temperatures and delays weed emergence. Moisture retention is another important advantage. Stripper headers reduce water loss through evaporation, runoff and erosion.”

If a producer uses a stripper header this year, future crops have the potential to benefit as well, according to Lollato.

“There is a lot of value in having more residue left in the fields,” he said. “When growers plant wheat directly into that crop residue after this year’s harvest, they get all of those benefits, like added moisture, weed control, and erosion reduction, which can help return a very good dollar amount the following summer.”

Conventional headers remain as another workable solution for operations not able to invest in additional implements.

“A stripper header is a pricey investment,” Lollato said. “However, there might be more challenges operating with a conventional header – especially on ground with a great slope – but they still work in this case.”

Making alterations to a traditional header may yield better results when harvesting stunted wheat fields with them.

“The most important thing to keep in mind is to maintain the cutting height as high as possible. You can also adjust the reel on the header to get more movement of wheat from the cutter bar to the auger,” Lollato said.

Other combine headers appropriate for harvesting poorer quality wheat stands include draper and flex heads. More information on considerations for harvesting short wheat is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/considerations-when-harvesting-short-wheat-593-1">May 24 issue of the Agronomy eUpdate</a>, published weekly by the K-State Department of Agronomy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717505835672.jpeg" alt="Dry weather conditions have brought about a poorer wheat crop set to be harvested this summer. K-State wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato suggests specialized equipment to make the most of a tough situation. Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Dry weather conditions have brought about a poorer wheat crop set to be harvested this summer. K-State wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato suggests specialized equipment to make the most of a tough situation. Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceDrought plaguing parts of Kansas created shorter wheat plants and thinner crop stands this year. In turn, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato advises growers to make adjustments at harvest time.“This year, the biggest cause for short wheat has been drought stress,” he said. “During springtime, the crop starts to go through a phase called stem elongation. That’s when plant height is determined. In certain areas, there was virtually no moisture, which caused the plants to be short.”Not all areas of Kansas have experienced this level of drought. Lollato said irregular rain patterns gave rise to significant plant height differences across counties and even in the same fields.“The Kansas crop is not uniformly short. A very sparse and variable rainfall distribution created these ‘waves’ within areas where tall and short plants occur, simultaneously, in those locations,” he said.According to Lollato, producers can attach stripper headers to the front of their combines to effectively harvest small wheat plants. Stripper headers separate the grain head from the remaining plant. On the other hand, traditional headers detach plants halfway down their stems.Lollato said, “Essentially, they have fingers on them. Those fingers pluck the heads out from the stem. The stripper headers feed the combine with only the wheat heads, which means having a cleaner product go into the combine, with increased efficiency.”Harvesting low-standing wheat plants with a stripper header can help improve soil quality in semi-arid areas.“They leave more crop residue behind. It will act as a barrier against weeds and shade the fields, which cools soil temperatures and delays weed emergence. Moisture retention is another important advantage. Stripper headers reduce water loss through evaporation, runoff and erosion.”If a producer uses a stripper header this year, future crops have the potential to benefit as well, according to Lollato.“There is a lot of value in having more residue left in the fields,” he said. “When growers plant wheat directly into that crop residue after this year’s harvest, they get all of those benefits, like added moisture, weed control, and erosion reduction, which can help return a very good dollar amount the following summer.”Conventional headers remain as another workable solution for operations not able to invest in additional implements.“A stripper header is a pricey investment,” Lollato said. “However, there might be more challenges operating with a conventional header – especially on ground with a great slope – but they still work in this case.”Making alterations to a traditional header may yield better results when harvesting stunted wheat fields with them.“The most important thing to keep in mind is to maintain the cutting height as high as possible. You can also adjust the reel on the header to get more movement of wheat from the cutter bar to the auger,” Lollato said.Other combine headers appropriate for harvesting poorer quality wheat stands include draper and flex heads. More information on considerations for harvesting short wheat is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/considerations-when-harvesting-short-wheat-593-1">May 24 issue of the Agronomy eUpdate</a>, published weekly by the K-State Department of Agronomy.

KSRE — Drought affected wheat fields call for supplemental equipment

The farmers and ranchers of the state’s leading agriculture advocacy organization today announced their endorsements of incumbent Rep. Tracey Mann in Kansas’ 1st&nbsp;District.

The formal endorsement came from Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) political action committee, Voters Organized to Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF), comprised of active farmer/rancher members elected by their peers from each of KFB’s 10 geographic districts.&nbsp;

The KFB VOTE FBF endorsement process began earlier this year with individual recommendations from the autonomous county Farm Bureau organizations.“Rep. Tracey Mann has represented the Big First with distinction,” Joe Newland, president of KFB says. “Feedback from county Farm Bureaus cited Rep. Mann’s continued outreach as one of the reasons members are confident he is the best choice for the 1st District.”

Kansas Farm Bureau’s VOTE FBF fund was established in 1993 to elect candidates who understand agriculture and advocate on its behalf. Since its inception, endorsed candidates have won their respective elections in more than 90 percent of races. To learn more about VOTE FBF, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kfb.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=45bba928f411d21617c5eadbe&amp;id=e950705bfb&amp;e=f3a072990a" target="_blank">www.kfb.org/votefbf</a>.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/48d5b028-8e16-42b6-9d11-a3542087d259">UPDATED: Saline County man arrested for alleged attempted murder</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575384916134.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe farmers and ranchers of the state’s leading agriculture advocacy organization today announced their endorsements of incumbent Rep. Tracey Mann in Kansas’ 1st&nbsp;District.The formal endorsement came from Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) political action committee, Voters Organized to Elect Farm Bureau Friends (VOTE FBF), comprised of active farmer/rancher members elected by their peers from each of KFB’s 10 geographic districts.&nbsp;The KFB VOTE FBF endorsement process began earlier this year with individual recommendations from the autonomous county Farm Bureau organizations.“Rep. Tracey Mann has represented the Big First with distinction,” Joe Newland, president of KFB says. “Feedback from county Farm Bureaus cited Rep. Mann’s continued outreach as one of the reasons members are confident he is the best choice for the 1st District.”Kansas Farm Bureau’s VOTE FBF fund was established in 1993 to elect candidates who understand agriculture and advocate on its behalf. Since its inception, endorsed candidates have won their respective elections in more than 90 percent of races. To learn more about VOTE FBF, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://kfb.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=45bba928f411d21617c5eadbe&amp;id=e950705bfb&amp;e=f3a072990a" target="_blank">www.kfb.org/votefbf</a>.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/48d5b028-8e16-42b6-9d11-a3542087d259">UPDATED: Saline County man arrested for alleged attempted murder</a>

KFB's VOTE FBF endorses Rep. Mann for re-election to U.S. House

K-State beef cattle veterinarians relay how to make the most of grazing warm and cool season grasses

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Pastures can be thought of in the same light as bank accounts. If an account holder withdraws a lot of money early in the year, then they’re left with nothing to spend on essential things down the line.

Beef producers who manage their pastureland in the same way can face similar repercussions.

Kansas State University veterinarians spoke about summer grazing management techniques that can keep pastures “in the black” on a recent episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/05/24/international-visitors-summer-grazing-the-electronic-nose/">Cattle Chat</a>.

“When we have cool-season grasses right now, they should be doing pretty well in most parts of the country and are very productive. Our warm-season grasses, depending on where you are, maybe haven’t quite come on yet,” K-State veterinarian Brad White said. “We need to think about our plan because both of those types of grasses have what are called dry spells where they’re less productive.”

K-State nutritionist Phillip Lancaster suggests introducing annual warm-season grasses to help balance out a pasture’s nutritional value when cool-season plants start to decline.

“Adding some annual warm-season forages to your grazing land rotation can be very beneficial so that you get something that is peaking in production when cool-season grasses are slowing down because of the heat,” he said.

Lancaster added: “When we get into the July and August timeframe, the cool-season grasses are not able to tolerate the heat, so their productivity slows way down.”

After cattle have grazed down cool-season plants, planting warm-season grasses like sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet or crabgrass straight into those pastures, or overseeding, serves as a great option for grazing cattle, according to Lancaster.

“Crabgrass is actually a very good (plant) that doesn’t have the potential to introduce some of the animal health problems that sorghum-sudangrass can with nitrate toxicity, but those are still some good options as we’re thinking about planting.”

For producers who employ a rotational grazing plan, frequently monitoring the growth of the plants within a pasture plays a key part in keeping grass in good condition.

“As you’re rotating to new pastures, paying attention to previously grazed pastures and how they are recovering and regrowing can kind of tell you how fast you need to rotate animals to maintain that plant in kind of a vegetative state,” Lancaster said.

White agreed and added: “In terms of your pasture movement, some of those things need to be sped up or slowed down based on conditions. There’s no static.”

To capture the full benefits of grazing the cool-season plants within a pasture, it’s important they stay immature for as long as possible.

“One of our goals in some of these cool-season forage systems is to try to minimize that plant going into a reproductive stage,” Lancaster said.

White added: “So, keep it from going to seed and getting ‘stemmy.’”

To learn more about summer grazing, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/05/24/international-visitors-summer-grazing-the-electronic-nose/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716903644688.jpeg" alt="Summer grazing horz.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Summer grazing horz.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>K-State beef cattle veterinarians relay how to make the most of grazing warm and cool season grasses</h2><a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceMANHATTAN, Kan. — Pastures can be thought of in the same light as bank accounts. If an account holder withdraws a lot of money early in the year, then they’re left with nothing to spend on essential things down the line.Beef producers who manage their pastureland in the same way can face similar repercussions.Kansas State University veterinarians spoke about summer grazing management techniques that can keep pastures “in the black” on a recent episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/05/24/international-visitors-summer-grazing-the-electronic-nose/">Cattle Chat</a>.“When we have cool-season grasses right now, they should be doing pretty well in most parts of the country and are very productive. Our warm-season grasses, depending on where you are, maybe haven’t quite come on yet,” K-State veterinarian Brad White said. “We need to think about our plan because both of those types of grasses have what are called dry spells where they’re less productive.”<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0s9EjyFvr7UhVXad1z1FRe?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>K-State nutritionist Phillip Lancaster suggests introducing annual warm-season grasses to help balance out a pasture’s nutritional value when cool-season plants start to decline.“Adding some annual warm-season forages to your grazing land rotation can be very beneficial so that you get something that is peaking in production when cool-season grasses are slowing down because of the heat,” he said.Lancaster added: “When we get into the July and August timeframe, the cool-season grasses are not able to tolerate the heat, so their productivity slows way down.”After cattle have grazed down cool-season plants, planting warm-season grasses like sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet or crabgrass straight into those pastures, or overseeding, serves as a great option for grazing cattle, according to Lancaster.“Crabgrass is actually a very good (plant) that doesn’t have the potential to introduce some of the animal health problems that sorghum-sudangrass can with nitrate toxicity, but those are still some good options as we’re thinking about planting.”For producers who employ a rotational grazing plan, frequently monitoring the growth of the plants within a pasture plays a key part in keeping grass in good condition.“As you’re rotating to new pastures, paying attention to previously grazed pastures and how they are recovering and regrowing can kind of tell you how fast you need to rotate animals to maintain that plant in kind of a vegetative state,” Lancaster said.White agreed and added: “In terms of your pasture movement, some of those things need to be sped up or slowed down based on conditions. There’s no static.”To capture the full benefits of grazing the cool-season plants within a pasture, it’s important they stay immature for as long as possible.“One of our goals in some of these cool-season forage systems is to try to minimize that plant going into a reproductive stage,” Lancaster said.White added: “So, keep it from going to seed and getting ‘stemmy.’”To learn more about summer grazing, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/05/24/international-visitors-summer-grazing-the-electronic-nose/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

KSRE Cattle Chat: Summer grazing

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-winter/">ALLISON WINTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — Republicans moved their long-awaited new farm bill through the U.S. House Agriculture Committee this week, despite opposition from most Democrats that could stall further advancement of the bill.

The massive $1.5 trillion legislation would set policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs for the next five years. After a marathon markup Thursday, the GOP-authored bill cleared the committee after midnight Friday, 33-21, with four Democratic votes.

The committee’s bill would increase farm “safety net” payments for some commodity crops, expand eligibility for disaster assistance and increase funding for speciality crops, organic farmers and dairy farmers.

It is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years. A title-by-title summary of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/discussion_draft_ffns.pdf">942-page bill</a>&nbsp;can be found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf">here</a>.

Democrats Don Davis of North Carolina, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Yadira Caraveo of Colorado and Eric Sorenson of Illinois&nbsp;joined all committee Republicans to vote to advance the bill.

After hours of heated debate and criticism from Democrats, support from the four lawmakers across the aisle seemed to surprise House Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican who was the bill’s primary sponsor.

His microphone picked up his aside as the vote concluded: “That was bipartisan. I did not see that one coming.”

But the tepid Democratic support is likely not enough to see this version of the bill through to final passage in the House.

A handful of Republicans typically oppose farm bills over fiscal concerns. And even Democrats who voted for the bill in the House committee said it needs major changes before it could make it into law.

The measure does not have support of Democrats in the Senate or the White House.

“Everyone knows that this bill would never become law. The Senate won’t accept it and the administration won’t accept it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said at the markup. “And while this bill is a giant misstep, it nevertheless begins our journey toward passing a farm bill.”

As the House committee debated the bill, Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said in an interview Thursday that the House proposal has no chance in the Senate.

“It tears up the farm and food coalition and does not have the votes to pass on the House floor. And certainly not in the Senate,” Stabenow told States Newsroom.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-chief-voices-deep-concerns-over-us-house-gop-farm-bills-nutrition-cuts">said earlier this week</a>&nbsp;that the farm bill draft would damage the coalition that traditionally has united behind farm bills and “raises the real possibility of being unable to get a farm bill through the process.”

The committee vote – which came eight months after the previous farm bill expired – was the first step in what is expected to continue to be a protracted dispute over food and farm policy.

Many farm commodity groups have come out in support of the bill, but it faces opposition from hunger advocacy groups as well as fiscal conservatives.

Heritage Foundation, National Taxpayers Union and Taxpayers for Common Sense, along with Environmental Working Group, united this week to oppose the legislation, which they characterized as a government giveaway to favored special interests.

The groups, which span the ideological spectrum, contend the proposed legislation would spend tens of billions of dollars in subsidies that would overwhelmingly go to a relatively small number of farmers who grow certain commodity crops.

Historically, farm bills have brought together lawmakers across party lines, uniting on regional interests. The massive bill stitches together support for agriculture producers, energy and conservation programs on farmland and food and nutrition programs for families in need.

But committee members are deeply divided over limits on nutrition and climate programs that are the funding mechanisms for the Republican bill.

“This, on the policy side, is a very good bill,” Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said. “But on the payment side, how do you get to your math?”

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/05/24/u-s-house-panel-debates-nutrition-benefit-changes-farm-bill/">key dispute</a>&nbsp;for Democrats is a funding calculation that would place limits on the formula that calculates benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, the food aid program formerly referred to as food stamps.

“One of the reasons it is so hard to negotiate the little items on this bill is because the big items and the funding mechanism are so fundamentally flawed,” Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree said.

The bill would limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula that calculates benefits for SNAP. This would result in a nearly $30 billion reduction in spending over ten years, based on the estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers say.

“If we want a farm bill that is able to pass into law with the bipartisan levels that it requires to pass beyond this committee, it is necessary that we go back to the negotiating table and remove this provision,” Caraveo said.

Caraveo, who faces a tough re-election in a toss-up district, ultimately voted in favor of the bill.

Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes offered an amendment that would have struck the changes to the program. But after more than two hours of impassioned debate on the issue Thursday night, the amendment failed on a party-line vote, 25-29.

The farm bill has to remain budget neutral, so lawmakers must fit their proposals into a baseline projection of how much the government would spend over the next 10 years if the current farm bill was extended.

The House Republican bill would offset increases in payments for farmers by placing limits on SNAP and a discretionary account at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The committee-passed bill would put limits on USDA’s discretionary Commodity Credit Corporation account and would remove climate-smart policy requirements for about $13 billion in conservation projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Farmers agree that this is good money that has come to all of our states, and is critically important,” Pingree said. “So taking away this authority from one Agriculture secretary maybe because you don’t like one program is completely misguided. It’s not thinking into the future.”

On the Senate side, Stabenow released an outline of her own&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/dem/press/release/chairwoman-stabenow-unveils-the-rural-prosperity-and-food-security-act">proposal</a>&nbsp;for the farm bill in early May but said she is waiting for language from Republicans before they can move forward.

Among other things, Stabenow’s bill would boost eligibility for nutrition programs for low-income people like SNAP. Stabenow made public a summary of the bill, but not legislative text.

Arkansas Republican John Boozman, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s top Republican, said Thursday he supports the direction on the farm bill from the House Agriculture Committee but was not optimistic about swift movement in his chamber.

“We’ve got a lot of headwinds,” Boozman said in an interview with&nbsp;States Newsroom&nbsp;Thursday.

Boozman said he plans to release language in the coming weeks but indicated lawmakers might be headed toward another extension if they cannot make progress swiftly.

“When I visit with the farm groups, I think their attitude is that rather than just doing something, if it’s not meaningful, we’re better off waiting,” Boozman told States Newsroom. “This is a five-year commitment. And, again, if we’re not going to do meaningful changes, to improve the safety of the farmers, it’s probably not worth doing.”

The farm bill is generally considered “must-pass” legislation. Lawmakers must rewrite the sweeping legislation every five years to set mandatory funding levels and policy. The current farm bill expired at the end of September 2023 but most programs have continued through extensions.

The current extension lasts until the end of September, but it is not clear if lawmakers will make that deadline – especially as attention turns to election campaigns over the summer and fall.

The farm bill votes could be fuel in upcoming elections.

As the House committee debated the measure Thursday, the GOP candidate in the Michigan U.S. Senate race to replace Stabenow criticized Democratic candidate and committee member Elissa Slotkin for her stance on the bill. Republican Mike Rogers took to X (formerly Twitter) to say Slotkin had not focused enough on the bill.

While the House committee engaged in 13 hours of debate on the farm bill markup, both Democrats and Republicans acknowledged that there would need to be more negotiations on the bill before it could become law.

Rep. Frank Lucas, an Oklahoma Republican and longtime committee member who chaired the panel from 2011 to 2015, characterized the committee vote as “the first step of a long journey.”

“Now, ultimately, ultimately, we must work with each other to advance a comprehensive committee product,” Lucas said.

“As we begin this process, I want to remind all my colleagues, the real struggle is not here in the Ag Committee, but on the floor of the United States House and in the conference committee. We will sort out our differences with the United States Senate.”

Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589039066122.png" alt="&nbsp;The U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved a bill this week to renew farm and nutrition programs, the the measure faces a tough road to becoming law. File photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved a bill this week to renew farm and nutrition programs, the the measure faces a tough road to becoming law. File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-winter/">ALLISON WINTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — Republicans moved their long-awaited new farm bill through the U.S. House Agriculture Committee this week, despite opposition from most Democrats that could stall further advancement of the bill.The massive $1.5 trillion legislation would set policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs for the next five years. After a marathon markup Thursday, the GOP-authored bill cleared the committee after midnight Friday, 33-21, with four Democratic votes.The committee’s bill would increase farm “safety net” payments for some commodity crops, expand eligibility for disaster assistance and increase funding for speciality crops, organic farmers and dairy farmers.It is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years. A title-by-title summary of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/discussion_draft_ffns.pdf">942-page bill</a>&nbsp;can be found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf">here</a>.Democrats Don Davis of North Carolina, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Yadira Caraveo of Colorado and Eric Sorenson of Illinois&nbsp;joined all committee Republicans to vote to advance the bill.After hours of heated debate and criticism from Democrats, support from the four lawmakers across the aisle seemed to surprise House Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican who was the bill’s primary sponsor.His microphone picked up his aside as the vote concluded: “That was bipartisan. I did not see that one coming.”<h2>Changes ahead</h2>But the tepid Democratic support is likely not enough to see this version of the bill through to final passage in the House.A handful of Republicans typically oppose farm bills over fiscal concerns. And even Democrats who voted for the bill in the House committee said it needs major changes before it could make it into law.The measure does not have support of Democrats in the Senate or the White House.“Everyone knows that this bill would never become law. The Senate won’t accept it and the administration won’t accept it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said at the markup. “And while this bill is a giant misstep, it nevertheless begins our journey toward passing a farm bill.”As the House committee debated the bill, Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said in an interview Thursday that the House proposal has no chance in the Senate.“It tears up the farm and food coalition and does not have the votes to pass on the House floor. And certainly not in the Senate,” Stabenow told States Newsroom.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-chief-voices-deep-concerns-over-us-house-gop-farm-bills-nutrition-cuts">said earlier this week</a>&nbsp;that the farm bill draft would damage the coalition that traditionally has united behind farm bills and “raises the real possibility of being unable to get a farm bill through the process.”The committee vote – which came eight months after the previous farm bill expired – was the first step in what is expected to continue to be a protracted dispute over food and farm policy.Many farm commodity groups have come out in support of the bill, but it faces opposition from hunger advocacy groups as well as fiscal conservatives.Heritage Foundation, National Taxpayers Union and Taxpayers for Common Sense, along with Environmental Working Group, united this week to oppose the legislation, which they characterized as a government giveaway to favored special interests.The groups, which span the ideological spectrum, contend the proposed legislation would spend tens of billions of dollars in subsidies that would overwhelmingly go to a relatively small number of farmers who grow certain commodity crops.<h2>Funding dispute</h2>Historically, farm bills have brought together lawmakers across party lines, uniting on regional interests. The massive bill stitches together support for agriculture producers, energy and conservation programs on farmland and food and nutrition programs for families in need.But committee members are deeply divided over limits on nutrition and climate programs that are the funding mechanisms for the Republican bill.“This, on the policy side, is a very good bill,” Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said. “But on the payment side, how do you get to your math?”The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/05/24/u-s-house-panel-debates-nutrition-benefit-changes-farm-bill/">key dispute</a>&nbsp;for Democrats is a funding calculation that would place limits on the formula that calculates benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, the food aid program formerly referred to as food stamps.“One of the reasons it is so hard to negotiate the little items on this bill is because the big items and the funding mechanism are so fundamentally flawed,” Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree said.The bill would limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula that calculates benefits for SNAP. This would result in a nearly $30 billion reduction in spending over ten years, based on the estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers say.“If we want a farm bill that is able to pass into law with the bipartisan levels that it requires to pass beyond this committee, it is necessary that we go back to the negotiating table and remove this provision,” Caraveo said.Caraveo, who faces a tough re-election in a toss-up district, ultimately voted in favor of the bill.Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes offered an amendment that would have struck the changes to the program. But after more than two hours of impassioned debate on the issue Thursday night, the amendment failed on a party-line vote, 25-29.The farm bill has to remain budget neutral, so lawmakers must fit their proposals into a baseline projection of how much the government would spend over the next 10 years if the current farm bill was extended.The House Republican bill would offset increases in payments for farmers by placing limits on SNAP and a discretionary account at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The committee-passed bill would put limits on USDA’s discretionary Commodity Credit Corporation account and would remove climate-smart policy requirements for about $13 billion in conservation projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.“Farmers agree that this is good money that has come to all of our states, and is critically important,” Pingree said. “So taking away this authority from one Agriculture secretary maybe because you don’t like one program is completely misguided. It’s not thinking into the future.”<h2>Slow Senate progress</h2>On the Senate side, Stabenow released an outline of her own&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/dem/press/release/chairwoman-stabenow-unveils-the-rural-prosperity-and-food-security-act">proposal</a>&nbsp;for the farm bill in early May but said she is waiting for language from Republicans before they can move forward.Among other things, Stabenow’s bill would boost eligibility for nutrition programs for low-income people like SNAP. Stabenow made public a summary of the bill, but not legislative text.Arkansas Republican John Boozman, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s top Republican, said Thursday he supports the direction on the farm bill from the House Agriculture Committee but was not optimistic about swift movement in his chamber.“We’ve got a lot of headwinds,” Boozman said in an interview with&nbsp;States Newsroom&nbsp;Thursday.Boozman said he plans to release language in the coming weeks but indicated lawmakers might be headed toward another extension if they cannot make progress swiftly.“When I visit with the farm groups, I think their attitude is that rather than just doing something, if it’s not meaningful, we’re better off waiting,” Boozman told States Newsroom. “This is a five-year commitment. And, again, if we’re not going to do meaningful changes, to improve the safety of the farmers, it’s probably not worth doing.”<h2>Election issue</h2>The farm bill is generally considered “must-pass” legislation. Lawmakers must rewrite the sweeping legislation every five years to set mandatory funding levels and policy. The current farm bill expired at the end of September 2023 but most programs have continued through extensions.The current extension lasts until the end of September, but it is not clear if lawmakers will make that deadline – especially as attention turns to election campaigns over the summer and fall.The farm bill votes could be fuel in upcoming elections.As the House committee debated the measure Thursday, the GOP candidate in the Michigan U.S. Senate race to replace Stabenow criticized Democratic candidate and committee member Elissa Slotkin for her stance on the bill. Republican Mike Rogers took to X (formerly Twitter) to say Slotkin had not focused enough on the bill.<h2>More negotiations ahead</h2>While the House committee engaged in 13 hours of debate on the farm bill markup, both Democrats and Republicans acknowledged that there would need to be more negotiations on the bill before it could become law.Rep. Frank Lucas, an Oklahoma Republican and longtime committee member who chaired the panel from 2011 to 2015, characterized the committee vote as “the first step of a long journey.”“Now, ultimately, ultimately, we must work with each other to advance a comprehensive committee product,” Lucas said.“As we begin this process, I want to remind all my colleagues, the real struggle is not here in the Ag Committee, but on the floor of the United States House and in the conference committee. We will sort out our differences with the United States Senate.”Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

Farm bill advances from U.S. House panel but faces a tough row to hoe

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Thursday scheduled as the day for the markup of the next five-year Farm Bill in the House Agriculture Committee, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann went to the House floor to praise the initial product that he has seen thus far heading into the process.

Mr. Speaker, this is a week that farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers in my state have long-awaited. The House Agriculture Committee will finally markup a five-year Farm Bill. I want to start by saying thank you to Chairman G.T. Thompson for leading the committee in developing a bipartisan, comprehensive, fiscally conservative Farm Bill that gives our farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers the certainty they deserve.

Around this time last year, the Chairman and I hosted a Farm Bill listening session in the middle of a wheat field in my District. We heard from 150 Kansans about their priorities for a Farm Bill. They were clear—they need a Farm Bill that gives them certainty as they work day-in and day-out to feed, clothe, and fuel the world. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act does just that.

This Farm Bill strengthens the farm safety net and protects crop insurance. Agricultural producers in Kansas understand firsthand how important that is. In February 2021, Kansas had 13 consecutive days of below freezing temperatures which was a 40-year record. Our producers worked around the clock to protect their cattle and ensure they survived. Just last summer, drought and market conditions in Kansas caused producers to abandon the highest number of acres of wheat since World War One. Wheat farmers have seen a 35% decrease in production in the last year as a result. Mr. Speaker, the reality is Mother Nature is a very difficult business partner. One bad crop year could put the livelihood of our producers and their families at risk. This Farm Bill gives these hardworking individuals more certainty by strengthening the farm safety net, adjusting reference prices, and modernizing the Livestock Indemnity Program, dairy supports, and Conservation Reserve Program.

The committee’s Farm Bill also maintains American food independence and invests tax dollars in places we can see a return on those dollars. America is the freest country in the world, in part because we have never had to rely on another country to feed us. At the heart of that independence is agricultural research and innovation.

The Big First is home to some of the crown jewels of the animal health corridor—Kansas State University and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. These institutions give the nation a scientific hub of world renown research. Kansas State University is conducting groundbreaking research into areas, including new heat-tolerant wheat varieties and higher yielding sorghum. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s state-of-the-art National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, will conduct research into serious animal disease threats and be an important backstop in protecting our nation’s food supply. This work, and America’s continued ability to feed ourselves for generations to come, depend on a five-year Farm Bill that prioritizes food security as national security.

Mr. Speaker, this Farm Bill makes robust investments in the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development cooperator programs that ensure our American producers remain in the international marketplace. It proactively addresses issues like deferred maintenance costs at land-grant institutions and the country’s veterinarian shortage before the problem gets worse.

I’ve been to this floor nearly thirty times to push for my priorities in the Farm Bill—to protect and strengthen crop insurance, promote trade programs that help America remain competitive and secure, conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch to fight big government overreach, and invest in agricultural research at America’s land-grant universities.&nbsp;I’m pleased that the Farm, Food, and National Security Act does just that.

We need to pass a five-year, fiscally conservative Farm Bill long enough to provide certainty and short enough for Congress to respond to market changes. Farm Bills feed every corner of the nation from New England to the islands of Hawaii, both our coasts, down to the Gulf, and even the heartland of the country, including Kansas.&nbsp;American agricultural producers and consumers are counting on it. The legislation we markup this week will have ripple effects for the next half-decade. This body, and Congress, must use this legislation to address the concerns we have all heard over the last several years.

When we kicked off our Farm Bill listening session last year there were three combines parked behind us – John Deere, Case, and Gleaner. When you grow up on a farm, you’re born into a loyalty to one of these trusted American brands. They have different styles and features, but they are all designed to do the same thing – harvest. Our listening session that day, and the bill the House Agriculture Committee markup this week are no different. We all have different priorities and backgrounds, but we’re all here to do the same thing – harvest, work hard, and effectively churn out a product – the Farm Bill.&nbsp;American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers deserve it, America’s food and national security depend on it, and Congress must deliver it.

This Farm Bill is something our agricultural community can be proud of. It&nbsp;puts&nbsp;dollars in places where Americans&nbsp;can see&nbsp;a good return on&nbsp;their&nbsp;investment. It tightens budgets and reins in reckless spending that doesn’t serve taxpayers. Most importantly, this&nbsp;bill ensures that American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers can continue to keep us all fed, fueled, and clothed.&nbsp;The Farm, Food, and National Security Act&nbsp;is the first step in the right direction, and I look forward to this week’s markup.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716456651202.jpeg" alt="Mann Farm Bill Speech May 22, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Mann Farm Bill Speech May 22, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>Office of Congressman Tracey MannWASHINGTON, D.C. — With Thursday scheduled as the day for the markup of the next five-year Farm Bill in the House Agriculture Committee, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann went to the House floor to praise the initial product that he has seen thus far heading into the process.<div><iframe width="927" height="522" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7E3VgSiXMpc" title="Mann Champions Agricultural Community, Fiscally-Conservative Farm Bill" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Mann's remarks are below:Mr. Speaker, this is a week that farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers in my state have long-awaited. The House Agriculture Committee will finally markup a five-year Farm Bill. I want to start by saying thank you to Chairman G.T. Thompson for leading the committee in developing a bipartisan, comprehensive, fiscally conservative Farm Bill that gives our farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers the certainty they deserve.Around this time last year, the Chairman and I hosted a Farm Bill listening session in the middle of a wheat field in my District. We heard from 150 Kansans about their priorities for a Farm Bill. They were clear—they need a Farm Bill that gives them certainty as they work day-in and day-out to feed, clothe, and fuel the world. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act does just that.This Farm Bill strengthens the farm safety net and protects crop insurance. Agricultural producers in Kansas understand firsthand how important that is. In February 2021, Kansas had 13 consecutive days of below freezing temperatures which was a 40-year record. Our producers worked around the clock to protect their cattle and ensure they survived. Just last summer, drought and market conditions in Kansas caused producers to abandon the highest number of acres of wheat since World War One. Wheat farmers have seen a 35% decrease in production in the last year as a result. Mr. Speaker, the reality is Mother Nature is a very difficult business partner. One bad crop year could put the livelihood of our producers and their families at risk. This Farm Bill gives these hardworking individuals more certainty by strengthening the farm safety net, adjusting reference prices, and modernizing the Livestock Indemnity Program, dairy supports, and Conservation Reserve Program.The committee’s Farm Bill also maintains American food independence and invests tax dollars in places we can see a return on those dollars. America is the freest country in the world, in part because we have never had to rely on another country to feed us. At the heart of that independence is agricultural research and innovation.The Big First is home to some of the crown jewels of the animal health corridor—Kansas State University and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. These institutions give the nation a scientific hub of world renown research. Kansas State University is conducting groundbreaking research into areas, including new heat-tolerant wheat varieties and higher yielding sorghum. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s state-of-the-art National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, will conduct research into serious animal disease threats and be an important backstop in protecting our nation’s food supply. This work, and America’s continued ability to feed ourselves for generations to come, depend on a five-year Farm Bill that prioritizes food security as national security.Mr. Speaker, this Farm Bill makes robust investments in the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development cooperator programs that ensure our American producers remain in the international marketplace. It proactively addresses issues like deferred maintenance costs at land-grant institutions and the country’s veterinarian shortage before the problem gets worse.I’ve been to this floor nearly thirty times to push for my priorities in the Farm Bill—to protect and strengthen crop insurance, promote trade programs that help America remain competitive and secure, conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch to fight big government overreach, and invest in agricultural research at America’s land-grant universities.&nbsp;I’m pleased that the Farm, Food, and National Security Act does just that.We need to pass a five-year, fiscally conservative Farm Bill long enough to provide certainty and short enough for Congress to respond to market changes. Farm Bills feed every corner of the nation from New England to the islands of Hawaii, both our coasts, down to the Gulf, and even the heartland of the country, including Kansas.&nbsp;American agricultural producers and consumers are counting on it. The legislation we markup this week will have ripple effects for the next half-decade. This body, and Congress, must use this legislation to address the concerns we have all heard over the last several years.When we kicked off our Farm Bill listening session last year there were three combines parked behind us – John Deere, Case, and Gleaner. When you grow up on a farm, you’re born into a loyalty to one of these trusted American brands. They have different styles and features, but they are all designed to do the same thing – harvest. Our listening session that day, and the bill the House Agriculture Committee markup this week are no different. We all have different priorities and backgrounds, but we’re all here to do the same thing – harvest, work hard, and effectively churn out a product – the Farm Bill.&nbsp;American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers deserve it, America’s food and national security depend on it, and Congress must deliver it.This Farm Bill is something our agricultural community can be proud of. It&nbsp;puts&nbsp;dollars in places where Americans&nbsp;can see&nbsp;a good return on&nbsp;their&nbsp;investment. It tightens budgets and reins in reckless spending that doesn’t serve taxpayers. Most importantly, this&nbsp;bill ensures that American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers can continue to keep us all fed, fueled, and clothed.&nbsp;The Farm, Food, and National Security Act&nbsp;is the first step in the right direction, and I look forward to this week’s markup.

🎥 WATCH: Mann praises House initial Farm Bill version

WASHINGTON (AP) —A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.

The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, experienced mild eye symptoms and has recovered, U.S. and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case Wednesday. A nasal swab from the person tested negative for the virus, but an eye swab tested positive, “indicating an eye infection," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

The risk to the public remains low, but farmworkers exposed to infected animals are at higher risk, health officials said. They said those workers should be offered protective equipment, especially for their eyes.

The first case happened in late March, when a farmworker in Texas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-texas-cows-355f1e288e72df8b81b0e2efd8b3ae2f">was diagnosed</a>&nbsp;in what officials called the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal. That patient also reported only eye inflammation and recovered.

Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been spreading among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disease-outbreaks-hong-kong-health-bird-flu-animals-75e5d058e0fda23b5359f66cafb74cdf">more animal species</a>&nbsp;— including dogs, cats, skunks, bears and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seals-bird-flu-deaths-oceans-80184a8793fbcc21fab01b1c90b0d71b">seals</a>&nbsp;and porpoises — in scores of countries. The detection&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-cattle-usda-kansas-texas-c3040bb31a9a8293717d47362f006902">in U.S. livestock</a>&nbsp;earlier this year was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-farmers-barb-petersen-07bd5accb01441bc5d279464271d2371">unexpected twist</a>&nbsp;that sparked questions about food safety and whether it would start spreading among humans.

That hasn't happened, although there's been a steady increase of reported infections in cows. As of Wednesday, the virus&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock">had been confirmed</a>&nbsp;in 51 dairy herds in nine states, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Fifteen of the herds were in Michigan.

Health officials in Michigan have declined to say how many people exposed to infected cattle have been tested or monitored. U.S. officials said they had tested 40 people since the first cow cases were discovered in late March.

The CDC's Dr. Nirav Shah praised Michigan officials for actively monitoring farmworkers. He said health officials there have been sending daily text messages to workers exposed to infected cows asking about possible symptoms, and that the effort helped officials catch this infection. He said no other workers had reported symptoms.

USDA is expanding financial incentives to dairy farmers whose herds have not yet been infected with the virus, Eric Deeble. a federal agriculture official, said Wednesday.

The virus has been found in high levels in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-raw-milk-h5n1-6398d2eda26eb41797ee2700cf9d036b">raw milk</a>&nbsp;of infected cows, but government officials say pasteurized products sold in grocery stores are safe because heat treatment has been confirmed to kill the virus.

The new case marks the third time a person in the United States has been diagnosed with what’s known as Type A H5N1 virus. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-environment-colorado-b98906e0a1899bb1f92da30a7b1dbe28">picked it up</a>&nbsp;while killing infected birds at a poultry farm in Montrose County, Colorado. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered. That predated the virus’s appearance in cows.

WASHINGTON (AP) —A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, experienced mild eye symptoms and has recovered, U.S. and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case Wednesday. A nasal swab from the person tested negative for the virus, but an eye swab tested positive, “indicating an eye infection," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.The risk to the public remains low, but farmworkers exposed to infected animals are at higher risk, health officials said. They said those workers should be offered protective equipment, especially for their eyes.The first case happened in late March, when a farmworker in Texas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-texas-cows-355f1e288e72df8b81b0e2efd8b3ae2f">was diagnosed</a>&nbsp;in what officials called the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal. That patient also reported only eye inflammation and recovered.Since 2020, a bird flu virus has been spreading among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/disease-outbreaks-hong-kong-health-bird-flu-animals-75e5d058e0fda23b5359f66cafb74cdf">more animal species</a>&nbsp;— including dogs, cats, skunks, bears and even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seals-bird-flu-deaths-oceans-80184a8793fbcc21fab01b1c90b0d71b">seals</a>&nbsp;and porpoises — in scores of countries. The detection&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-cattle-usda-kansas-texas-c3040bb31a9a8293717d47362f006902">in U.S. livestock</a>&nbsp;earlier this year was an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-dairy-farmers-barb-petersen-07bd5accb01441bc5d279464271d2371">unexpected twist</a>&nbsp;that sparked questions about food safety and whether it would start spreading among humans.That hasn't happened, although there's been a steady increase of reported infections in cows. As of Wednesday, the virus&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock">had been confirmed</a>&nbsp;in 51 dairy herds in nine states, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. Fifteen of the herds were in Michigan.Health officials in Michigan have declined to say how many people exposed to infected cattle have been tested or monitored. U.S. officials said they had tested 40 people since the first cow cases were discovered in late March.The CDC's Dr. Nirav Shah praised Michigan officials for actively monitoring farmworkers. He said health officials there have been sending daily text messages to workers exposed to infected cows asking about possible symptoms, and that the effort helped officials catch this infection. He said no other workers had reported symptoms.USDA is expanding financial incentives to dairy farmers whose herds have not yet been infected with the virus, Eric Deeble. a federal agriculture official, said Wednesday.The virus has been found in high levels in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-raw-milk-h5n1-6398d2eda26eb41797ee2700cf9d036b">raw milk</a>&nbsp;of infected cows, but government officials say pasteurized products sold in grocery stores are safe because heat treatment has been confirmed to kill the virus.The new case marks the third time a person in the United States has been diagnosed with what’s known as Type A H5N1 virus. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-environment-colorado-b98906e0a1899bb1f92da30a7b1dbe28">picked it up</a>&nbsp;while killing infected birds at a poultry farm in Montrose County, Colorado. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered. That predated the virus’s appearance in cows.

Another farmworker diagnosed with bird flu tied to dairy cows

By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina Post

The parking lot that City Lights Stage calls home had a new look on Saturday — tents and tables filled that space with about a dozen vendors for the season's first Farm and Art Market Downtown.

"People are smiling, people are doing exactly what we wanted this market to be, they're talking to one another and being a community," said Salina Downtown, Inc. (SDI) Executive Director Leslie Bishop. "This parking lot is meant to look like this on a Saturday morning."

Familiar businesses like AJ Honey Farms, LLC, Shroom-Mates and Bowden Beef participated in the first market. Still, Bishop said there will be about 20 to 22 vendors in the next few weekends as produce ripens.

Wind River Farm, a local goat farm owned by Angela Price from Falun, joined in selling various goat milk soaps and balms to customers.

"It doesn't look like any first market that I've seen — there's a lot more traffic, a lot more vendors for the first ever, and so I expect good things from this market," Price said.&nbsp;"Salina Downtown showed me a few things&nbsp;of&nbsp;what&nbsp;their plans&nbsp;are&nbsp;for this area, and I'm very impressed and looking forward to sticking around."

READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/dceab434-5a0f-431a-8951-c8413870c905">Salina City Commissioners 'OK' next steps for possible shade structure in Downtown Salina</a>

<a href="https://www.salinadowntown.org/farmartmarket">The Farm and Art Market Downtown</a> aims to provide a space for all local Salina vendors to join in and sell their goods, art and other handmade items. More than 500 people stopped by the market on Saturday. Vendors sold-out of produce and craft goods within hours of the market's grand opening.&nbsp;

The market begins at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday during the summer and ends at noon at the City Lights Stage parking lot in downtown Salina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716240367749.jpeg" alt="Shoppers browse the local food and goods at the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, in downtown Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Shoppers browse the local food and goods at the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, in downtown Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina PostThe parking lot that City Lights Stage calls home had a new look on Saturday — tents and tables filled that space with about a dozen vendors for the season's first Farm and Art Market Downtown.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716240459097.jpeg" alt="Shroom-Mates owner Casey Andre (right) chats with a customer, Brian Metzger (left) about the ways to cook oyster mushrooms during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Shroom-Mates owner Casey Andre (right) chats with a customer, Brian Metzger (left) about the ways to cook oyster mushrooms during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>"People are smiling, people are doing exactly what we wanted this market to be, they're talking to one another and being a community," said Salina Downtown, Inc. (SDI) Executive Director Leslie Bishop. "This parking lot is meant to look like this on a Saturday morning."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716240533015.jpeg" alt="Wind River Farm owner Angela Price (left) chats with a customer, Willow Leenders (right) about the benefits of using goat-milk soap during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Wind River Farm owner Angela Price (left) chats with a customer, Willow Leenders (right) about the benefits of using goat-milk soap during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Familiar businesses like AJ Honey Farms, LLC, Shroom-Mates and Bowden Beef participated in the first market. Still, Bishop said there will be about 20 to 22 vendors in the next few weekends as produce ripens.Wind River Farm, a local goat farm owned by Angela Price from Falun, joined in selling various goat milk soaps and balms to customers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716240588495.jpeg" alt="Wind River Farm goat-milk soaps lay out on a table ready for customers to browse during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Wind River Farm goat-milk soaps lay out on a table ready for customers to browse during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>"It doesn't look like any first market that I've seen — there's a lot more traffic, a lot more vendors for the first ever, and so I expect good things from this market," Price said.&nbsp;"Salina Downtown showed me a few things&nbsp;of&nbsp;what&nbsp;their plans&nbsp;are&nbsp;for this area, and I'm very impressed and looking forward to sticking around."READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/dceab434-5a0f-431a-8951-c8413870c905">Salina City Commissioners 'OK' next steps for possible shade structure in Downtown Salina</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716240670046.jpeg" alt="AJ Honey Farms, LLC, wax melts stand ready for customers to browse during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>AJ Honey Farms, LLC, wax melts stand ready for customers to browse during the first Farm and Art Market Downtown on Saturday, May 18, near City Lights Stage in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.salinadowntown.org/farmartmarket">The Farm and Art Market Downtown</a> aims to provide a space for all local Salina vendors to join in and sell their goods, art and other handmade items. More than 500 people stopped by the market on Saturday. Vendors sold-out of produce and craft goods within hours of the market's grand opening.&nbsp;The market begins at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday during the summer and ends at noon at the City Lights Stage parking lot in downtown Salina.

New Farm and Art Market Downtown, celebrating community with local small business

By MARSHA BOSWELL Kansas Wheat

On Wednesday, 69 people on the Wheat Quality Council’s 2024 winter wheat tour made their way from Colby to Wichita, Kansas, stopping in wheat fields along six different routes.

Wednesday’s wheat tour scouts made 216 stops at wheat fields across western, central and southern Kansas, and into northern counties in Oklahoma.

The calculated yield from all cars was 42.4 bushels per acre. Scouts were able to use the late season formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which includes counting wheat heads, number of spikelets and kernels per spikelet. The yield formula doesn’t take disease, pests or weed pressure into consideration.

Romulo Lollato said the theme of the day was variability, even within fields. Groups saw a lot of drought stress and freeze damage, with some fields already being destroyed. Not as much stripe rust or Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus were observed on Wednesday, compared to Tuesday, likely due to drought conditions.

Farmers in the area reported that combines will probably start rolling by June 1 in south central Kansas, about seven to ten days earlier than average. There wasn’t as much fungicide applied in the southern areas of Kansas because the stripe rust started coming on in a later growth stage.

“This year is a testament to the wheat breeders and researchers and the work they’ve done,” said Derek Sawyer, who farms near McPherson. “This year, everything has been stressed across the state, but we’re still looking at a decent crop.”

Dennis Schoenhals from Oklahoma Wheat Commission reported that the state’s production was estimated at 96.2 million bushels this year, up from 68.6 million bushels last year, according to USDA’s NASS. USDA/NASS estimates the Oklahoma crop will yield 37 bushels per acre, compared with 28 last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.6 million acres. A tour of agronomists and others in the industry estimated the production slightly lower than the NASS estimate, at 89.3 million bushels and a yield of 33 bushels per acre. He said the Oklahoma wheat crop had good moisture through the end of January, but then they had an 83 day flash drought, which took the top end of the crop. He said it has had good, cool grainfill weather.

Wheat Tour 24 continues Thursday with six routes between Wichita and Manhattan. Follow along with the tour at #wheattour24. A final production estimate will be announced Thursday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684379707210.png" alt="Kansas Wheat Commission logo.PNG" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Wheat Commission logo.PNG</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARSHA BOSWELL Kansas WheatOn Wednesday, 69 people on the Wheat Quality Council’s 2024 winter wheat tour made their way from Colby to Wichita, Kansas, stopping in wheat fields along six different routes.Wednesday’s wheat tour scouts made 216 stops at wheat fields across western, central and southern Kansas, and into northern counties in Oklahoma.The calculated yield from all cars was 42.4 bushels per acre. Scouts were able to use the late season formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which includes counting wheat heads, number of spikelets and kernels per spikelet. The yield formula doesn’t take disease, pests or weed pressure into consideration.Romulo Lollato said the theme of the day was variability, even within fields. Groups saw a lot of drought stress and freeze damage, with some fields already being destroyed. Not as much stripe rust or Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus were observed on Wednesday, compared to Tuesday, likely due to drought conditions.Farmers in the area reported that combines will probably start rolling by June 1 in south central Kansas, about seven to ten days earlier than average. There wasn’t as much fungicide applied in the southern areas of Kansas because the stripe rust started coming on in a later growth stage.“This year is a testament to the wheat breeders and researchers and the work they’ve done,” said Derek Sawyer, who farms near McPherson. “This year, everything has been stressed across the state, but we’re still looking at a decent crop.”Dennis Schoenhals from Oklahoma Wheat Commission reported that the state’s production was estimated at 96.2 million bushels this year, up from 68.6 million bushels last year, according to USDA’s NASS. USDA/NASS estimates the Oklahoma crop will yield 37 bushels per acre, compared with 28 last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.6 million acres. A tour of agronomists and others in the industry estimated the production slightly lower than the NASS estimate, at 89.3 million bushels and a yield of 33 bushels per acre. He said the Oklahoma wheat crop had good moisture through the end of January, but then they had an 83 day flash drought, which took the top end of the crop. He said it has had good, cool grainfill weather.Wheat Tour 24 continues Thursday with six routes between Wichita and Manhattan. Follow along with the tour at #wheattour24. A final production estimate will be announced Thursday afternoon.

Day Two, Wheat Tour 2024

Participants on the northern routes of this year’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour saw some of the better-looking wheat that they’ve seen in years, while participants on the southern routes saw drought-stricken fields. They calculated yields based on head counts and number of spikelets in the heads; however, tour scouts saw stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic virus and freeze damage.

About 69 people from 19 U.S. states, traveled in 18 cars on six routes between Manhattan and Colby, Kan., Tuesday, stopping at wheat fields every 15-20 miles along the routes, as part of the Wheat Quality Council’s 66th Annual Hard Winter Wheat Evaluation Tour.

About half the participants had not been on the tour before. They were shown how to take yield measurements from tour alumni, using the formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This formula is based on 2014-2023 Kansas wheat objective yield data. Farmers can calculate their own field estimates using the same formula with instructions at <a href="http://kswheat.com">kswheat.com</a>.

Every tour participant makes yield calculations at each stop based on three to four different area samplings per field. These individual estimates are averaged with the rest of their route mates, and eventually added to a formula that produces a final yield estimate for the areas along the routes. While yields tend to be the spotlight of the Wheat Quality Tour, the real benefit is the ability to network among the ‘grain chain.’ This tour gives Kansas farmers the chance to interact with and influence their customers around the globe, on the tour, as well as at the #wheattour24 hashtag.

Tuesday’s cars of wheat tour scouts made 206 stops at wheat fields across north central, central and northwest Kansas, and into southern counties in Nebraska. The calculated yield is based on what scouts saw at this point in time. A lot can happen between now and harvest. The calculated yield from all cars was 49.9 bushels per acre, which was above trendline yields and is representative of areas of the state that are not most impacted by drought conditions. Day 2 of the tour will travel through southwest and south central Kansas, areas that have missed out on any recent precipitation.

Statewide, based on May 1 conditions, Kansas' 2024 winter wheat crop is forecast at 267.9 million bushels, up 66 million bushels from last year's crop, according to NASS. Average yield is forecast at 38 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from last year. Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 7.05 million acres, up from last year’s 5.75 million acres.

For the week ending May 12, 2024, Kansas winter wheat condition rated 13% very poor, 22% poor, 34% fair, 28% good and 3% excellent. Kansas winter wheat jointed was 97%, ahead of 84% last year and 89% for the five-year average. Headed was 73%, well ahead of 48% last year and 43% average. Coloring was 1%.

In addition to Kansas reports, scouts from Nebraska and Colorado met the group in Colby to give reports from their states.

Royce Schaneman from Nebraska Wheat Board reported that USDA estimates the Nebraska crop at 40.8 million bushels, which is up from 36.96 million bushels last year. Yield is estimated at 48 bushels per acre.

A report from Colorado estimated the crop at 72 million bushels, based on a yield of 44 bushels per acre and 2.1 million acres planted. This is lower than the May 1 USDA estimate of 81.4 million bushels, based on slightly higher abandonment. Last year’s production was 74.62 million bushels.

These estimates are for this year’s hard winter wheat crop during this current snapshot in time.

Wheat Tour 24 continues Wednesday with six routes between Colby and Wichita, Kansas.

&nbsp; For audio version, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wh3RpXx0B7_GSFOSgk9TbDT0PUf7PknksYYwErQIIByE7xDUcs0bl-fzj2rDrXGcg1MEcrlblvt_CItmrrAdjoTeTOEy2TcTcQe6dbRJI9aLc9JAWjlrhQXMXWquC4kQ6f86jrUMPY7jvA727Y4h5lckUuda-PSafG5Tmnr5oxI=&amp;c=qhcRUhPnrDxUN179bRLottIl5E0Zj4PaFVq7EIVdgchKUUIuPNH7Rw==&amp;ch=wl3YeHeqydKJiL_l6aJs51rBAqBcKklO8QYki-kYG9Ffpdi303E0yg==" target="_blank">kswheat.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655426692793.jpeg" alt="Kansas Wheat Commission logo.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Wheat Commission logo.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas WheatParticipants on the northern routes of this year’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour saw some of the better-looking wheat that they’ve seen in years, while participants on the southern routes saw drought-stricken fields. They calculated yields based on head counts and number of spikelets in the heads; however, tour scouts saw stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic virus and freeze damage.About 69 people from 19 U.S. states, traveled in 18 cars on six routes between Manhattan and Colby, Kan., Tuesday, stopping at wheat fields every 15-20 miles along the routes, as part of the Wheat Quality Council’s 66th Annual Hard Winter Wheat Evaluation Tour.About half the participants had not been on the tour before. They were shown how to take yield measurements from tour alumni, using the formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This formula is based on 2014-2023 Kansas wheat objective yield data. Farmers can calculate their own field estimates using the same formula with instructions at <a href="http://kswheat.com">kswheat.com</a>.Every tour participant makes yield calculations at each stop based on three to four different area samplings per field. These individual estimates are averaged with the rest of their route mates, and eventually added to a formula that produces a final yield estimate for the areas along the routes. While yields tend to be the spotlight of the Wheat Quality Tour, the real benefit is the ability to network among the ‘grain chain.’ This tour gives Kansas farmers the chance to interact with and influence their customers around the globe, on the tour, as well as at the #wheattour24 hashtag.Tuesday’s cars of wheat tour scouts made 206 stops at wheat fields across north central, central and northwest Kansas, and into southern counties in Nebraska. The calculated yield is based on what scouts saw at this point in time. A lot can happen between now and harvest. The calculated yield from all cars was 49.9 bushels per acre, which was above trendline yields and is representative of areas of the state that are not most impacted by drought conditions. Day 2 of the tour will travel through southwest and south central Kansas, areas that have missed out on any recent precipitation.Statewide, based on May 1 conditions, Kansas' 2024 winter wheat crop is forecast at 267.9 million bushels, up 66 million bushels from last year's crop, according to NASS. Average yield is forecast at 38 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from last year. Acreage to be harvested for grain is estimated at 7.05 million acres, up from last year’s 5.75 million acres.For the week ending May 12, 2024, Kansas winter wheat condition rated 13% very poor, 22% poor, 34% fair, 28% good and 3% excellent. Kansas winter wheat jointed was 97%, ahead of 84% last year and 89% for the five-year average. Headed was 73%, well ahead of 48% last year and 43% average. Coloring was 1%.In addition to Kansas reports, scouts from Nebraska and Colorado met the group in Colby to give reports from their states.Royce Schaneman from Nebraska Wheat Board reported that USDA estimates the Nebraska crop at 40.8 million bushels, which is up from 36.96 million bushels last year. Yield is estimated at 48 bushels per acre.A report from Colorado estimated the crop at 72 million bushels, based on a yield of 44 bushels per acre and 2.1 million acres planted. This is lower than the May 1 USDA estimate of 81.4 million bushels, based on slightly higher abandonment. Last year’s production was 74.62 million bushels.These estimates are for this year’s hard winter wheat crop during this current snapshot in time.Wheat Tour 24 continues Wednesday with six routes between Colby and Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp; For audio version, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wh3RpXx0B7_GSFOSgk9TbDT0PUf7PknksYYwErQIIByE7xDUcs0bl-fzj2rDrXGcg1MEcrlblvt_CItmrrAdjoTeTOEy2TcTcQe6dbRJI9aLc9JAWjlrhQXMXWquC4kQ6f86jrUMPY7jvA727Y4h5lckUuda-PSafG5Tmnr5oxI=&amp;c=qhcRUhPnrDxUN179bRLottIl5E0Zj4PaFVq7EIVdgchKUUIuPNH7Rw==&amp;ch=wl3YeHeqydKJiL_l6aJs51rBAqBcKklO8QYki-kYG9Ffpdi303E0yg==" target="_blank">kswheat.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day One — Kansas Wheat Tour 2024

<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> <a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu"></a>K-State Research and Extension news service

Anyone who’s ever lived in a house with newborn twins knows they can be a lot of work to take care of. When twin births happen in the beef herd, it often brings about special management considerations, say the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.

Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-managing-twins">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, K-State assistant professor of animal welfare Eduarda Bortoluzzi and K-State veterinarian Bob Larson discussed steps producers should take in managing twins.

“Twins in beef herds are more common than people might think,” Bortoluzzi said. “But they need to be watched closely in the first 24 hours to make sure both calves get colostrum from the dam.”

Larson added the biggest concern with twin births is that both calves will not get adequate nutrition early on in life.

“I recommend separating the cow and her twins away from the rest of the herd so they can be closely monitored,” Larson said.

If the cow isn’t accepting both calves or she cannot produce enough milk to adequately nourish the twins, then it might be time to consider grafting the calf to another cow that has recently lost her calf or hand-raising one of the twins by bottle-feeding them, Larson said.

“Oftentimes twins are not born the same size and so one of them tends to be more rigorous than the other,” Larson said.

He also said producers need to make sure both calves are thriving.

“A calf that is thriving will get up and run around to play, while one that isn’t is slow to get up and just lacks energy,” Larson said.

To make it easier to monitor the twins, Bortoluzzi recommends putting the cows with twins in the same pasture as the first-calf heifers.

“By grouping the cows with twins in the heifer pasture, producers can easily make sure the twins are eating well and maintaining good health,” Bortoluzzi said.

To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-managing-twins">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715262287835.jpeg" alt="K-State beef cattle experts share tips for raising twin calves. Photo Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>K-State beef cattle experts share tips for raising twin calves. Photo Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> <a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu"></a>K-State Research and Extension news serviceAnyone who’s ever lived in a house with newborn twins knows they can be a lot of work to take care of. When twin births happen in the beef herd, it often brings about special management considerations, say the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-managing-twins">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, K-State assistant professor of animal welfare Eduarda Bortoluzzi and K-State veterinarian Bob Larson discussed steps producers should take in managing twins.“Twins in beef herds are more common than people might think,” Bortoluzzi said. “But they need to be watched closely in the first 24 hours to make sure both calves get colostrum from the dam.”Larson added the biggest concern with twin births is that both calves will not get adequate nutrition early on in life.“I recommend separating the cow and her twins away from the rest of the herd so they can be closely monitored,” Larson said.If the cow isn’t accepting both calves or she cannot produce enough milk to adequately nourish the twins, then it might be time to consider grafting the calf to another cow that has recently lost her calf or hand-raising one of the twins by bottle-feeding them, Larson said.“Oftentimes twins are not born the same size and so one of them tends to be more rigorous than the other,” Larson said.He also said producers need to make sure both calves are thriving.“A calf that is thriving will get up and run around to play, while one that isn’t is slow to get up and just lacks energy,” Larson said.<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2GFsMX0A3vHFxvbQMUj5nl?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>To make it easier to monitor the twins, Bortoluzzi recommends putting the cows with twins in the same pasture as the first-calf heifers.“By grouping the cows with twins in the heifer pasture, producers can easily make sure the twins are eating well and maintaining good health,” Bortoluzzi said.To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-managing-twins">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

🎙KSRE Cattle Chat — Managing stress in calves, twins in beef herds 

<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER </a>K-State Research and Extension news service

Depending on the job, some people may have to complete a fitness test to prove that they can complete what will be required of them to be successful.

For bulls whose job it is to breed cows, the fitness test often comes in the form of a breeding soundness exam completed by a veterinarian in the weeks ahead of pasture turnout, say the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute.

Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-bulls-fail-breeding-exam">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said there are several components to a breeding soundness exam.

“With that exam, we make sure the bull is in good body condition and that his feet and legs are sound. We also palpate the scrotum and observe his penis to be sure it moves freely. And then we test a semen sample to assess the quality of the sperm he is producing,” Larson said.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/34c0200d-54c2-42ed-8c22-c5b544676d44">Dry fields contribute to damage by alfalfa weevils, says K-State entomologist</a>

Relating to the semen sample, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers explained what the base criteria are for the semen to pass.

“We want 70% of the bull’s sperm cells to be normal morphology and 30% of those cells to have a normal, forward-progressive motility,” Lubbers said.

These tests are typically done in the spring before the bulls are turned out into breeding pastures with the females.

Unfortunately, not all bulls pass their breeding soundness exam. That can happen for a variety of reasons, said the veterinarians.

So that begs the question: What should producers do with a bull who fails the exam?

“It really depends on the age of the bull and why he failed,” Lubbers said.

If the bull is around 12 months of age and he fails on semen quality, Larson recommends producers retest the bull in a few weeks.

“Because of the cattle breeds that we have in the U.S., I don’t expect all bulls will be fertile at 12 months of age, but by the time they are 15 months old, their age should not be a limiting factor,” Larson said.

Lubbers said there are some health challenges relating to a bull’s movement that can cause him to fail on exam day, but as he recovers that should not be a barrier to him passing a future evaluation.

“If he has a foot abscess, he will fail the exam but that is easy to treat and his prognosis of being able to return to breeding is good,” Lubbers said. “However, if he only has 20% normal sperm under the microscope, he may never pass. And that is why some fails are different than others.”

To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-bulls-fail-breeding-exam">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/95a4c0cb-94f9-49fc-b6f3-0949cee40f68">North Central Kansas counties prepare for 'Big Kansas Road Trip'</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714569477275.jpeg" alt="K-State veterinarians offer recommendations about how to manage a bull if he doesn’t pass his breeding soundness exam." />
 <figcaption>K-State veterinarians offer recommendations about how to manage a bull if he doesn’t pass his breeding soundness exam.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER </a>K-State Research and Extension news serviceDepending on the job, some people may have to complete a fitness test to prove that they can complete what will be required of them to be successful.For bulls whose job it is to breed cows, the fitness test often comes in the form of a breeding soundness exam completed by a veterinarian in the weeks ahead of pasture turnout, say the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute.Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-bulls-fail-breeding-exam">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said there are several components to a breeding soundness exam.“With that exam, we make sure the bull is in good body condition and that his feet and legs are sound. We also palpate the scrotum and observe his penis to be sure it moves freely. And then we test a semen sample to assess the quality of the sperm he is producing,” Larson said.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/34c0200d-54c2-42ed-8c22-c5b544676d44">Dry fields contribute to damage by alfalfa weevils, says K-State entomologist</a>Relating to the semen sample, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers explained what the base criteria are for the semen to pass.“We want 70% of the bull’s sperm cells to be normal morphology and 30% of those cells to have a normal, forward-progressive motility,” Lubbers said.These tests are typically done in the spring before the bulls are turned out into breeding pastures with the females.Unfortunately, not all bulls pass their breeding soundness exam. That can happen for a variety of reasons, said the veterinarians.So that begs the question: What should producers do with a bull who fails the exam?“It really depends on the age of the bull and why he failed,” Lubbers said.If the bull is around 12 months of age and he fails on semen quality, Larson recommends producers retest the bull in a few weeks.“Because of the cattle breeds that we have in the U.S., I don’t expect all bulls will be fertile at 12 months of age, but by the time they are 15 months old, their age should not be a limiting factor,” Larson said.Lubbers said there are some health challenges relating to a bull’s movement that can cause him to fail on exam day, but as he recovers that should not be a barrier to him passing a future evaluation.“If he has a foot abscess, he will fail the exam but that is easy to treat and his prognosis of being able to return to breeding is good,” Lubbers said. “However, if he only has 20% normal sperm under the microscope, he may never pass. And that is why some fails are different than others.”To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/cattle-chat-bulls-fail-breeding-exam">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/95a4c0cb-94f9-49fc-b6f3-0949cee40f68">North Central Kansas counties prepare for 'Big Kansas Road Trip'</a>

KSRE Cattle Chat: What to do when a bull fails breeding soundness exam

By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina Post

The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce visited AJ Honey Honey Farms, LLC, on Friday, April 26, to celebrate a ribbon cutting for joining the chamber and the business's brick-and-mortar location on Ninth Street.

AJ Honey Farms co-owner Allen Stovall told the packed storefront of visitors his and his wife's, co-owner Judy Stovall, journey to opening AJ Honey Farms.

Allen Stovall also shared his passion for helping other beekeepers and spreading awareness and education about the benefits and conservation that stem from beekeeping.

"We always want to see new beekeepers coming in. We're happy to teach it and of course we do not charge to teach something we do because we enjoy helping people learn this trade," Allen Stovall said. "So teaching is a large part of this."

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/468bc8ee-a938-49e5-aa9d-286e2f02e11d">AJ Honey Farms — leading local beekeepers toward success</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714240606251.jpeg" alt="AJ Honey Farms, LLC, celebrates a ribbon cutting with the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>AJ Honey Farms, LLC, celebrates a ribbon cutting with the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina PostThe Salina Area Chamber of Commerce visited AJ Honey Honey Farms, LLC, on Friday, April 26, to celebrate a ribbon cutting for joining the chamber and the business's brick-and-mortar location on Ninth Street.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714241210929.jpeg" alt="AJ Honey Farms, LLC, owners Judy and Allen Stovall share about their business and their focus on beekeeping education in the region during a Ribbon ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>AJ Honey Farms, LLC, owners Judy and Allen Stovall share about their business and their focus on beekeeping education in the region during a Ribbon ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>AJ Honey Farms co-owner Allen Stovall told the packed storefront of visitors his and his wife's, co-owner Judy Stovall, journey to opening AJ Honey Farms.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714241383997.jpeg" alt="Visitors pack the storefront of AJ Honey Farms, LLC, to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Visitors pack the storefront of AJ Honey Farms, LLC, to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 26, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Allen Stovall also shared his passion for helping other beekeepers and spreading awareness and education about the benefits and conservation that stem from beekeeping."We always want to see new beekeepers coming in. We're happy to teach it and of course we do not charge to teach something we do because we enjoy helping people learn this trade," Allen Stovall said. "So teaching is a large part of this."READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/468bc8ee-a938-49e5-aa9d-286e2f02e11d">AJ Honey Farms — leading local beekeepers toward success</a>

AJ Honey Farms, LLC, celebrates storefront with Salina Area Chamber of Commerce

At a glance: Dry conditions in north central Kansas and other areas have contributed to the relative damage caused by alfalfa weevils in the state’s crop, according to Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth.

By PAT MELGARES <a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/04/agriculture-spring-crop-pests.html">K-State Research and Extension news service</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714237565142.jpeg" alt="The adult alfalfa weevil is known to leave a field once temperatures reach 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, then return in the fall to mate and lay eggs again. Image courtesy of K-State Department of Entomology" />
 <figcaption>The adult alfalfa weevil is known to leave a field once temperatures reach 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, then return in the fall to mate and lay eggs again. Image courtesy of K-State Department of Entomology</figcaption>
 </figure>At a glance: Dry conditions in north central Kansas and other areas have contributed to the relative damage caused by alfalfa weevils in the state’s crop, according to Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth.By PAT MELGARES <a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/04/agriculture-spring-crop-pests.html">K-State Research and Extension news service</a>Dry conditions in north central Kansas and other areas have contributed to the relative damage caused by alfalfa weevils in the state’s crop, according to Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth.“Usually this time of year, alfalfa stems are seven or eight inches long,” Whitworth said. “But because of our dry conditions, they’re only four or five. So, any defoliation by alfalfa weevils affects the plant that much more.”Whitworth routinely scouts Kansas fields for signs of pests, as well as the effectiveness of treatments.“The fields that were treated (with insecticide) two weeks ago seem to be holding pretty well,” he said. “One of the things we’ve urged producers to do this year is to make sure they cover the foliage adequately. That’s really important because the insecticides labeled for alfalfa weevils are contact insecticides, which means weevils need to come into contact with the insecticide to control them.Whitworth said his current recommendation for applying insecticide is 10-15 gallons of carrier per acre.In fields that haven’t been treated, Whitworth estimated “another 7-10 days that those weevils will be feeding” on plants, if temperatures continue to range between 40-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Those are ideal conditions for the weevil, he said.Whitworth said the 7-10 day window is "hopefully the producer’s last need to use insecticide to control alfalfa weevils." Once they’re done feeding on foliage, the larvae crawl down into the canopy or to the ground and form a pupal case – which looks like small cotton balls. The pupal case protects them from insecticides and other liquids.Adult alfalfa weevils are known to leave a field once temperatures reach 80-85 F, Whitworth said, then return the following fall to mate and lay eggs again.Whitworth said producers should also be on the lookout for the pea aphid, which can affect such crops as pea, clover, alfalfa and broad bean. Persistent dry conditions also can contribute to growth in pea aphid populations, Whitworth said.“They’re sucking the juice out of the plant, so if they’re competing with those plants for moisture, you may have to consider a pea aphid treatment,” he said. “However, it takes 50 or more (aphids) per stem before I would even consider a treatment.”Producers should also monitor their fields for beneficial insects, which generally do a good job controlling pea aphids. However, if the producer treated a field for alfalfa weevils, that insecticide may also have killed the beneficial insects.Whitworth also said that army cutworms could be affecting some Kansas fields, though they are less likely to be found in alfalfa and more likely in wheat. The army cutworm develops into what is known as the miller moth, typically by the end of May, at which time it migrates to higher elevations.“These moths may aggregate in large numbers, and thus be a serious nuisance prior to migrating out of the state in late May,” Whitworth said.To look for army cutworms, producers can dig around the soil at the base of plants in several places throughout a field, especially where plants look stressed. According to Whitworth, they look like “half-grown, little larvae, and they’re kind of a dusty color.” They feed above ground.Whitworth said a good indication of whether an abundance of army cutworms is in a field is the presence of birds, skunks and turkeys, which are especially adept at hunting out and eating the insect.More information on pest control in crop fields is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations/" target="_blank">available at local extension offices in Kansas</a>.