The Kansas Farmers/Ranchers


The Kansas Farmers and Ranchers are invited to participate in this forum by making a comment on someone else’s remarks or posting a comment on a subject of interest to them. This is an interactive site designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Think of it as your Community Bulletin Board to compare notes on agriculture-related subjects. Consider the issues that are specific to the regional environmental conditions found in Kansas (climate, soil, terrain, etc.).

Participants are encouraged to recount their experiences - good or bad. Describe the experience and when it was bad, share how you resolved the issue (Include funny stories and/or inspiring stories about farm/ranch life). If you have a particularly thorny issue on the farm/ranch, maybe someone else online has had the same issue and found a workable solution. Give us examples and descriptions of projects that you are working on. Everybody likes to hear what others are doing.

If you are searching for a specific item - post it online. Post website addresses that have information that you think would be of interest to others.

You may want to buy, sell or trade machinery, animals, etc. (Individual farmers/ranchers only, no commercial dealers please). Post on any farm/ranch subject, agriculture information/suggestions that you would like to pass on to other farmers/ranchers (i.e. type of seeds to plant, crops to plant, animals to raise, experiences that you have had). This is all about sharing with your friends and neighbors what works and what doesn’t. Give us your views and post feedback on comments that others have made.

Post any innovative ideas you may have to increase economic activity in Kansas (i.e. growing and harvesting switchgrass for ethanol in the ditches of the Interstate Highway System).

Use the Site to make announcements of local events (i.e. farm/ranch sales, barn raisings, special church functions) and community events (i.e. fairs, rodeos, trade shows, 4-H events, festivals, arts and crafts shows, etc.) Events that are specific to the region you are in.

Keep and post a journal of daily activities/events!
Farm and ranch women should also use this site to express their views. Tell us about your daily life (the products you grow – specialties of your farm/ranch, where you go, what you do, etc). The women are strongly encouraged to participate and discuss events from their prospective, on what it is like to live on a farm or ranch.


Monday, October 27, 2008

The Future of Food - How Science will Solve the Next Global Crisis

A comprehensive article on food from "Wired Magazine" issue 16.11 using graphs to illustrate the current food mix and future needs.

http://www.wired.com/special_multimedia/2008/ff_futurefood_1611

Monday, August 25, 2008

Wind Energy

As always, I bring these stories to your attention, not because I agree or disagree with the premise of the story, but because we will all be affected by the outcome.

This is another article on T. Boone Pickens and Wind Energy.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/08/22/why-t-boone-pickens-could-be-the-best-hope-for-wind-energy.html

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Monday, July 21, 2008

Kansas Related Issue

“Turbine Time” in the July 19, 2008 issue of “The Economist” magazine
Another T. Boone Pickens's article, but this time on the subject of “Wind Power” and his ambitions.
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11750614

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

US Farm Report

www.usfarmreport.com
(broadcast on TV Sunday mornings @0500 am)

Monday, July 14, 2008

"Kansas Living" magazine - Kansas Farm Bureau

The Kansas Farm Bureau (“Kansas Living”, winter 2008 issue) has raised questions on the dilemma of out-migration from the rural areas to large urban areas.

The “Kansas Living” articles:

“Why Can’t We?” (page 1);
How can the small Kansas towns be saved?

“Lay of the Land” (page 4);
Rural population decline and how to stop it.

“Vital Partner” (page 6);
The connection between the farms and the small communities that serve them.

‘Wealth of Opportunity” (page 8);
A Greenwood County story

“Essential Strategy” (page 12);
The rural population decline – an attempt at turning it around.

“KFB’s Concept” (page 13);
The goals set to attain their objectives.

“We Can” (page 36) articulates the message clearly.
John Schlageck’s summation on reaching the KFB’s goals.

It would be nice to have all of the “Kansas Living” articles available online as they are very informative.

Tallgrass Prairie

Article on the Tallgrass Prairie with Photo Gallery, Field Notes, and Map in National Geographic Magazine, April 2007 issue.
An outstanding National Geographic article on the Tallgrass Prairie in The Flint Hills of Eastern Kansas with photographs.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0704/feature5/index.html


A short article with multiple photographs on the Tallgrass Prairie in The Flint Hills of Eastern Kansas.
http://www.flyoverpeople.net/galleries/Tallgrass/index.html