Farm Radio

September 15-21 is “ National Farm Safety and Health Week ”. Each year, this week serves as an opportunity to promote ways that farmers can protect their own health and safety as well as that of their employees and families.  This year, the National Farm Safety and Health Week organizers are promoting the following topics:  tractors safety, roadway safety, opioid misuse prevention, suicide prevention,  confined spaces safety, youth safety, and safety for women. Additional information on each of these topics is in the document attached. On-the-job hazards in Colorado are much broader than this list, so I would encourage you, if interested, to consider the topic(s) of most interest to your audience. The CSU faculty and professionals available for interview likewise have expertise in areas beyond those of the national themes.    Photo courtesy of: www.farmanddairy.com

Broomfield, Colo.  -  The Colorado Department of Agriculture has confirmed that a total of three horses residing on separate locations in Larimer, Pueblo and Weld Counties have been diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV). The three cases are Colorado's first confirmed cases of WNV in horses in 2019.  These index cases were diagnosed by Colorado State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fort Collins in late August, 2019. Vaccines in horses have proven to be a very effective prevention tool for WNV, and horses that have been vaccinated in past years do need an annual booster.  If a horse has not been vaccinated in previous years, it will need the two-shot vaccination series within a three to four week period.  In addition to vaccinations as a preventative measure, horse owners should also reduce local mosquito populations and their possible breeding areas. Recommendations include removing stagnant water sources, keeping animals inside during t...

Application Period for MFP Payments Opens Farm Service Agency offices starting today (Monday) are accepting producer applications for the Market Facilitation Program payments announced last week. The payments are part of the $16 billion trade aid package for producers in 2019. The Department of Agriculture expects the first round of payments to start mailing around mid-to-late August. A producer will receive 50 percent of the per-acre payment rate in the first round of payments. So, if a county-level rate is $60, the producer would receive $30 per-acre in August, and the remaining $30 would be split between two additional payments, if they’re determined necessary by the Trump administration, later in the year. Producers have until Friday, December 6, 2019, to apply. Dairy and hog producers are also eligible for aid, but have specific requirements producers must follow during the application process. USDA is encouraging all eligible producers to contact their local FSA office to appl...

Broomfield, Colo . - Colorado has become the third state in the U.S. to have confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VSV). Previous positive cases of vesicular stomatitis in 2019 have been diagnosed in Kinney and Tom Green counties in Texas and in Sandoval County, New Mexico. On July 3rd, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory reported positive test results on samples submitted from two horses in Weld County. The two horses reside on separate locations in Weld County and have been placed under quarantine. The initial Colorado disease investigation was completed by a field veterinarian from the State Veterinarian’s Office at the Colorado Department of Agriculture.  “Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners,” said Colorado State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. “The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful causing difficulty in eating and drinking.” The Weld County epidemiological investigation indicates an incursion of...

 The Colorado Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Colorado Farm Fresh Directory, a free publication that connects consumers with farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-picks, wineries and agritourism activities throughout the state.  “For 35 years we have connected producers and consumers through Farm Fresh,” said Wendy White, marketing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “I love to see how excited everyone gets when local products are readily available.” The 2019 Colorado Farm Fresh Directory features more than 200 farms, ranches, roadside stands, u-picks and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and 100 farmers’ markets across the state. With 50 new listings this year, Farm Fresh includes farms offering tours, restaurants using local ingredients, wineries, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and farm and ranch vacations. A guide to county fairs, a crop calendar, food and agricultural festivals and tips for picking Colorad...

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced today the availability of a  new web-based tool  – developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin – to help dairy producers evaluate various scenarios using different coverage levels through the new  Dairy Margin Coverage  (DMC) program. The 2018 Farm Bill authorized DMC, a voluntary risk management program that offers financial protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. It replaces the program previously known as the Margin Protection Program for Dairy. Sign up for this USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) program opens on June 17. “With sign-up for the DMC program just weeks away, we encourage producers to use this new support tool to help make decisions on participation in the program,” Secretary Perdue said.  “Dairy producers have faced tough challenges over the years, bu...

The Bad, the Ugly, the Good on Wheat Lorrie Boyer “We are seeing less seeded wheat; lowest seeded area on record,  which is being attributed to rain in the plains last season causing planting issues,” says Senior Vice President of Communications for U.S. Wheat Associates, Steve Mercer. The bad here is that the trend is continuing and typically prices would rise for farmers as a result of this situation, but prices are staying flat, according to Mercer. Further, he says that the Russian crop is dominating in price buying in the middle East and “their crop looks good. They are a major player.” That is what causing the lack of price bump for U.S. farmers. That being said, prices are up over this time last year, but “they are not where we expect.” The ugly here is that the most recent USDA Stocks Report shows that there are 1.5 billion bushels of wheat stocks in the U.S. alone. He says that producers have done a good job producing wheat and conditions have been favorable. However...