No one doubts that small farmers in the US are facing an unprecedented attack from many sides, including tariffs, international competition, overproduction and low commodity costs. The New Republic published an article this week discussing the role of weather and changing climate in putting stress on small farmers by increasing…
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The Southeast Farm Press posted an interesting story today which describes how weather and climate impact the development of a uniform field of corn, which is key to getting the top yields. One of things that is needed is a string of 4 days in a row with temperatures at…
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The Southeast Farm Press published an interesting story today based on an interview with BASF director of North American crop protection Luke Bozeman. In the story they discuss how a combination of breeding, new technology, and smart management practices can help farmers adapt to whatever changes are coming to the…
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The Southeast Farm Press posted a retrospective story this week on the 2018 weather impacts on the Tobacco Belt. Intense heat early in the season was followed by heavy rains. Hurricane Florence destroyed a lot of the tops of the tobacco plants with strong winds and heavy rain, the most…
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Agricultural producers in the Southeast are always looking for new crops to supplement or replace older crops that are not providing good returns. One of the newest crops to be discussed is industrial hemp (not to be confused with medicinal hemp, or marijuana). Hemp was grown frequently in the past…
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The Guardian posted an interesting story this week about how Florida farmers are adapting to the impacts of Hurricane Michael by changing the types of crops they grow and how they manage their fields. They are starting to move towards less traditional crops like cotton and introducing new crops like…
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Southeast Farm Press reported this week that the North Carolina agricultural commissioner is urging farmers to look into new crops to help diversify themselves in case of bad weather or market unrest. Some of the crops include carrots for natural coloring, poplar for veneer and industrial hemp. You can read more at https://www.farmprogress.com/crops/nc-ag-commissioner-urges-farmers-take-serious-look-new-crops.