Sheep and solar are unlikely pairings taking off in the ag industry. According to Peter Orwick with the American Lamb Board, it was a big topic at this year’s sheep industry convention, and leaders say it is providing many opportunities.
“A surprising number of sheep are being employed to control the vegetation on these fields,” Orwick said. “We heard from members that expanded their sheep operations to incorporate grazing for pay, for hire, a large part of the year. We have people who are not necessarily livestock or sheep producers, who are getting into the business expressly for that revenue opportunity to graze these solar fields. So, that was a true highlight with utility and solar companies joining us, along with grazers and producers. There was a lot of good Q&A as people tried to negotiate if that’s something they want to do.”
The American Lamb Board is also hoping to provide producers with more educational opportunities about integrating solar energy into their operations, including workshops on solar contracts and how producers can expand their reach.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
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Credit stress is building for row-crop farms despite steady land values and slight price improvements.
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Reed Marcum started hosting a toy drive in 2015. Since then, he has distributed thousands of toys across his home state of Oklahoma and in Texas and Arkansas. Now serving in the Army, Reed’s family and local 4-H chapter are running the event.
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RFD-TV Farm Legal and Tax Expert Roger McEowen explains the basics of Low-Risk Credit in Farming, and how an understanding of the farm credit landscape lets producers tactfully approach debt.
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“The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first,” said the USDA.
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Low-risk credit farming is not a technique; it is a culture of financial discipline. It requires the same level of expertise in the farm office as it does in the field.
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