Birdshot in Beef: The Hidden Defect Birdshot or shotgun shell pellets have been found and reported in the beef supply since the first National Beef Quality Audit in the early 1990s and the incidence of this foreign material in the beef we produce is not subsiding. In fact, the opposite may be true.

Roundup-Branded Herbicides: Active Ingredient Changes For decades, herbicide products sold under the trade name Roundup contained the active ingredient glyphosate. Glyphosate- containing products are labeled for non-selective control of broadleaf and grassy weeds in landscape situations.

Grasshoppers Weather patterns can have a significant impact on grasshopper populations year to year. Hot, dry summers increase the survival of nymphs and adult grasshoppers, leading to increased egg production during the growing season.

I admit it, I am a political junkie, and I have not been able to stop listening to the radio, watching the TV or reading about recent events, all of which can be best described as unprecedented. They are coming fast and furious. I told someone the other day it was like coming up to a wreck on interstate and not wanting to look but not being able to stop myself from looking. All I can say is the election isn’t here yet, so you better buckle up and expect the unexpected.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus – Control Volunteer Wheat Wheat streak mosaic virus was widespread across the state of Kansas this year. Therefore, abundant wheat curl mites will be active in the state.

Vegetables Produce Flowers but Not Fruit There are several reasons why healthy vegetable crops produce flowers and no fruit. Most squash, cucumbers, and melons have separate male and female flowers on each plant. Usually, male flowers appear first in the season. Female flowers have a swollen area beneath the petals, while male flowers have a narrow base. Check your plants to see if both flower types are present. If male and female flowers are present, observe the area for pollinators. If few to no pollinators are present, vegetables with separate male and female flowers may not produce fruit.

A few months ago, I registered my two children for two weeks of swimming lessons at our town’s pool. Registering my 8-year-old daughter for lessons was a nonnegotiable. She needs to continue learning skills that’ll help her keep her head above water while also gaining strength as a swimmer. My son, on the other hand, had a choice of taking lessons or not.

Farmers and ranchers in Kansas are amazing people. Yes, I am tooting our own horn, but we deserve it. We are hard-working and all too humble people, and the work we do is something our fellow humans literally cannot live without. We grow food.

By Rachael Brooke Rooks County’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent Bitter Cucumbers A bitter taste in cucumbers results from stress, which can be caused by several factors, including heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics, and disease. This often occurs during the hot part of the summer or later in the growing season.

Kansas wheat harvest is a magical time. There is a buzz across the state created by the excitement of combines rolling through the golden fields, semis, and old wheat trucks rolling across the scale at the local elevator, and families coming together to take in the crop. Wheat harvest even has its version of pixie dust as the chaff and dirt kicked up by the machinery help to make our sunsets vibrant and beautiful every night.