The estate tax or death tax remains a major concern for the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Unless Congress takes action, the law will revert to provisions that will result in a much higher tax bill for heirs. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Kent Bacus talked about the NCBA’s plans for...

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will be asking Congress to maintain funding levels for conservation programs when it gets back to work on the next farm bill. They will also ask the agriculture committees to keep the 60-40 ratio for livestock conservation funding. The NCBA’s Kristina Butts...

Passage of the South Korea, Panama and Columbia Free Trade Agreements was a major victory for cattle producers last year. But the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP could prove to be an even bigger win for the industry. The NCBA’s Colin Woodall explained in this interview at the National Cattlemen’s...

Hindsight is 20-20, says the University of Arkansas’ Tom Troxel, but cattle ranchers confronted with dry conditions can help themselves by making decisions early. While Arkansas hasn’t been hit as hard as states to its west, ranchers in the state have felt effects of drought conditions. Troxel...

Grazing on public lands has become a controversial subject in some circles. But Bill Hopkin says properly managed grazing can be beneficial to that land, even in the arid West. Hopkin says dry years can take a toll on grazing, but not so much if proper steps are taken. He spoke during a Cattlemen’s...

The annual High Cotton Awards Breakfast has created some magical moments for the winners and their friends and families. From the National Cotton Council’s Bill Norman talking about the winners using cover crops to the Far West’s Don Cameron talking about his wife’s role in his operation, the 2012...

Consumers are asking more questions about how agricultural products are grown and agriculturally-based products manufactured. The Cotton industry has been finding some interesting answers to those questions in the Vision 21 Project. Cotton Incorporated’s Janet Reed talked about those findings and...

Those are three words Shawn Holladay wanted to talk about when he accepted the bronze Cotton Boll award for being named the Southwest High Cotton winner for 2012. Holladay and his wife, Julie, experienced an horrific growing season on the High Plans in 2011. But Holladay, like the other three...

2011 was not a year for the faint of heart in much of the Cotton Belt. Justin Cariker had to replant 1,100 acres of cotton, something that hadn’t happened on his farm in many years. But Cariker believes current prices and new varieties could help cotton stage a comeback in 2012. He talked about the...

Ricky Bearden says many High Plains cotton growers spent $120 to $150 per acre on irrigation in 2011 and “still didn’t get a crop.” Farmers in his area never received a rain during the growing season and thus did not harvest their dryland acreage. The experiences of 2011 may force some changes in...