Southwest Farm Press News Archive

President vetoes new farm bill

May 22, 2008,

By David Bennett
Farm Press Editorial Staff

On Wednesday morning (May 21), just as he’d promised for weeks, President Bush vetoed the nearly $300 billion farm bill passed overwhelmingly by Congress....

Cotton variety evaluations available to producers

May 21, 2008,

By J.D. Bilbro
Contributing Writer

Choices — cotton farmers now have lots of them....

Setting the record straight on ACRE

May 21, 2008,

A statement of American Farmland Trust and the National Corn Growers Association

In a last-ditch effort to make a case to sustain the president’s expected veto of the 2008 Farm Bill, USDA officials are attempting to create confusion and concern over the new Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program. ...

Stiles Farm Field Day to help crop producers overcome high costs

May 21, 2008,

By Blair Fannin
Texas A&M University

Learning how to become a more efficient crop producer during times of high production costs is the underlying theme of the 45th Stiles Farm Field Day June 17 in Thrall....

Learn about beekeeping at May 24th Field Day

May 21, 2008

Each year, the Alamo Area Beekeepers Association extends a special invitation to nature lovers of all ages who are interested in learning about bees and becoming a beekeeper. ...

Pecan groves offer profitable options

May 20, 2008,

By Ron Smith
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Central Oklahoma and North Texas farmers and ranchers looking for a new enterprise might consider pecans — if they’re patient and willing to invest the management and money necessary to produce a profitable crop....

Consider options before breaking out CRP acres

May 20, 2008

Officials with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are urging farmers to consider USDA compliance and program eligibility before converting Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to cropland production....

Senate farm bill approval commended by the NCC

May 20, 2008

National Cotton Council Chairman Larry McClendon commended the U.S. Senate for its decisive passage of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 with 81 votes in favor of the bill – and urged President Bush to reconsider a veto of this important legislation....

Updating management adds value to High Plains grain sorghum

May 19, 2008,

By J.D. Bilbro
Contributing Writer

Grain sorghum is second only to cotton in acres planted on the High Plains, and greater demand for grain sorghum for export and ethanol production has stimulated an acreage increase. ...

TDA announces exemption to use Onager on field corn

May 19, 2008

The Texas Department of Agriculture has been granted approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue a Section 18 specific exemption allowing the use of hexythiazox (Onager Miticide) on field corn in Texas to control the Banks grass mite (Oligonychus pratensis) and the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch)....

Biotechnology Conference to address scientific ‘Controversy and Solutions’

May 19, 2008,

By Mike Jackson
Texas A&M University

The eighth annual Biotechnology Educator’s Conference is scheduled for June 12 in Plano....

Farm bill getting widespread support

May 19, 2008,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Not all the country’s environmental and conservation groups are opposing the farm bill conference report, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. ...

Timing proves crucial to wheat management

May 16, 2008,

By Ron Smith
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Foliar fertilizer applications probably will not be enough to pull wheat out of late-spring nitrogen deficiencies. ...

Monitoring conservation tillage via satellite

May 16, 2008

To find out how much acreage is being farmed using conservation tillage, Agricultural Research Service scientists have gone up high -- to satellites....