Raney Rapp

1 week ago | farmprogress.com | Raney Rapp

Farmer Joe Henry is for the birds. If the long, narrow poultry houses and the permeating smell of litter aren’t proof enough, the fowl themed “CMT’s Trick My Truck” dually parked in the shed loudly declares Henry’s passion for poultry.  So why is a fowl aficionado the first call for government officials and integrators facing on-farm avian flu outbreaks? The reason might be surprising.  “Our own experience is how we got into the cleanup business,” Henry said.

1 week ago | farmprogress.com | Raney Rapp

First-year study at University of Tennessee shows GMO soybeans could decrease in-field deer damageDelta farmers go to great lengths to rid fields of damage-causing deer. Whether using air cannons, fencing, sprays or depredation permits, deer continue to outsmart the system and increase feeding on valuable commodity crops year over year.  “Of the field crops that we plant, soybeans are the most nutritious and available forage that we have,” Brown said.

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Raney Rapp

Starting with a completely clean field, following the planter with a quality residual herbicide, timely in-season applications – all of these form a firm foundation for in-field weed control. In situations where one or more of those building blocks is not practical, an effective, non-selective herbicide like dicamba could often turn the tide in the farm’s favor.

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Raney Rapp

If it feels like the world is working against American farmers, there may be some merit in that sentiment. Other countries are also seeking a safe, sustainable food supply, stable currency and trade opportunities – outside of the global power of the U.S. dollar.  BRICS is a governmental coalition creating a duopoly – two firms with an intent to control the market of a good – in this case, two countries trying to command agricultural commodities.

4 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Raney Rapp

Cotton growers across the globe are improving in efficiency year-over-year. It’s a win for farm technology, but creates a tough marketplace for the former number one worldwide cotton exporter – the U.S. In 2024, Louis Dreyfus cotton analyst and former National Cotton Council chairman Joe Nicosia warned cotton farmers to ‘compete or get beat’ in the global race for cotton demand.