Pivotal Issues Blog

By Raylene Nickel Stress goes hand in hand with farming and ranching. It’s built into the natural rhythms we live by: unpredictable weather, livestock that sometimes decides to live by its own rules, and plants that get derailed by disease, drought, rain, or cold. Nevertheless, the rewards of a rural life and work on a […]

By Jodi Henke As farms get larger and the labor market tightens, the farm manager has to be a human resources specialist in their quest to find and retain the best employees. Leadership, organization, being a visionary and having good communication skills are of course important as well. However, a blanket managerial approach for all […]

By Successful Farming Staff Michigan farmers can now mediate a wide range of disputes at no cost through the Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program (MAMP), courtesy of the 2018 Farm Bill. The bill enables the MAMP to mediate agricultural issues involving leases, farm transitions, organic certification, next-door neighbors, and more. The MAMP helps the farm community […]

By Raylene Nickel Cutting corners on cow nutrition may save on feed costs in the short term, but the long-range consequences could be more costly and more far reaching than expected. Research has shown that calves born to cows whose diets were nutritionally restricted during gestation experience long-term losses in performance, as compared with progeny […]

By Corbett Kull It’s almost time for farmers and landlords to begin negotiating their leases for the 2020 growing season. With 40% of U.S. farmland rented, this market is worth $32 billion. As you begin to consider the next growing season, you have the opportunity to make adjustments and gain new insight into the health […]

By Brent Olson I was headed down the road with three grandchildren when we smelled that summertime gift of rural roads, a dead skunk. Everyone made the appropriate noises, opened windows, and gagged a little. To change the mood I said, “Hey, let’s all sing that dead skunk song.” “There is no dead skunk song, […]

By Chuck Abbott More than half of U.S. farm operators say they do business over the internet, a 13-point increase in six years, as ownership of computers and access to the internet blossomed, according to USDA. Nonetheless, the Pew Research Center says rural Americans are much less likely than their city counterparts to have a […]

MANILA, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The Philippines has set up a crisis management team to determine if the deadly African swine fever virus has reached the country after officials detected a rise in pig deaths in some areas. The Bureau of Animal Industry had reported an increased mortality of pigs “raised by farmers in their […]

By Mike McGinnis U.S. liquid propane gas inventories are building, pushing the market lower, offering farmers an opportunity to lock in fall and winter heating supplies. While industry expert’s opinions differ on when is the best time to contract LP gas, traditionally the summer months provide farmers that shot at buying the dip in the […]

By: Terri Queck-Matzie Pesticides serve many functions and come in many forms, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. The ultimate goal in all cases is to increase crop yields by reducing competitive environmental factors. Weeds, bugs, and disease steal a plant’s health and nutrients, reducing its productivity. Pesticides can help, if used properly. APPLYING HERBICIDES FOR WEED […]