USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of more than $18 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

The fight over water in California’s Central Valley heated up last week after U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger granted valley farmers and ranchers a temporary 14-day restraining order on Feb. 5 allowing the pumping of water from

The fed cattle market softened a little more last week as early trade was hampered by heavy carcass weights, deliveries of heavy cattle against the October live cattle contract, and continued erosion in boxed beef prices. Early trade in the northern Plains

Nebraska Cattlemen, in partnership with Sand County Foundation, is seeking nominations for the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award in Nebraska. The award, which is comprised of $10,000 and an Aldo Leopold crystal, recognizes Nebraska landowners who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and sustainable management of natural resources.

The New Mexico Section of the Society for Range Management presented outstanding range management and stewardship awards to two New Mexico ranches during the societys annual meeting Jan. 7-8 in Albuquerque, NM.

Feeder cattle demand boosts prices in the West and northern Plains. Winter weather was taking a toll on southern Plains feedlots last week as the cold, wet conditions continued to hamper performance in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. The ice storm

Fed cattle trade was slowed by weather across the southern Plains last week where up to an inch of ice was hampering movement across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. As a result, there was little hurry in trading in the region. Farther north in Nebraska, trade was reportedly light by midday last Thursday at $135-136 dressed and in Kansas at

A green pasture with grazing animals offers an idyllic image of our natural environment. With the current focus on climate change, such a pasture has much more to offer than image. Through effective policy implementation, grazing lands can reduce greenhouse gases through carbon sequestration and emissions reductions offset credits.

Fed cattle trade was slow to get started last week ahead of the cattle on feed report due out on Friday. Early week trade in Nebraska and the Corn Belt to regional packers was reported at $140 dressed basis. When the bulk of trade finally got underway, analysts were predicting it would come in a range of

Montana State University (MSU) Extension and the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) distinguished 190 Steers of Merit out of over 950 entries for 2009. Out of 852 steers entered in the Carcass Division, 159 were deemed Steers of Merit. In the Ultrasound Division, 31 out of 104 entries received the distinction.