The Back 40

The article below tells the story of the continual loss of family dairies in Oregon, which half dropped by half in the past 20 years. But, really, it’s a familiar story across the United States. For reasons such as economics, including fluctuations in milk and feed prices, and massive time commitments, farmers are leaving the [...]

By Dave Neu It wasn’t just the sound of cattle echoing across the Buell family’s Shovel Dot Ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills this fall.  The loud, trumpeting bugles of endangered whooping cranes rolled through the well-managed property owned by Larry and Nickie and Homer and Darla Buell for nearly a week. The Buell family has [...]

Technology is playing a major role in agriculture these days. Technological advancements like GPS monitoring and mapping systems, real-time data analysis, and hybrid seed development are allowing farmers across the nation to use their time and spend their money more efficiently. This is all about precision agriculture, which means that technology gives farmers the advantage of [...]

A scientific journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology, is being criticized by several scientists who accuse the journal of publishing faulty research. The controversy is focused on an article, published in September, which claims to find a link between the consumption of genetically modified corn and tumors in rats. More than 700 scientists across the globe [...]

Sand County Foundation and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation selected Jim and Val Hebbe as the recipients of the 2012 Leopold Conservation Award. “Jim and Val Hebbe’s commitment to no-till and other conservation efforts that benefit soil and water is exemplary” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President. “Their on-the-farm practices and off-the-farm leadership make them [...]