HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann said at the Kansas State Fair over the weekend, even though the federal fiscal year ends at the end of the month, the Farm Bill is not done.

"I'm frustrated with how slowly it's going," Mann said. "That said, I think we are making progress. I think the committee's done a good job listening to producers. We're working our tail off to make sure that this is a Farm Bill that works for our Kansas ag producers, which is the most important thing."

U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall used an analogy from his days in obstetric practice.

"This is my second farm bill," Marshall said. "I know a little bit more about obstetrics than I do a farm bill, as a matter of fact, I saw two kids I delivered over in the sheep showing program, as well. If the farm bill was a pregnant mom, I'd say, we're a week overdue and it's time to induce her."

Marshall would rather see the farm bill finished than just an extension, but an extension is what appears most likely at this point in the process.

"As agriculture goes, so goes Kansas," Marshall said. "What a farm bill does is give us a great amount of certainty. It allows our producers to make a five year plan, rather than a one year plan. When you're an ag lender, it helps you understand, are we going to be able to make this payment year three, year four, year five, as well. I think that's the struggle before us. I think the biggest impediment to getting a farm bill done is our $33 trillion national debt. This country is spending $700 billion on interest."

The other problem is that in an inflationary economy, more people in poverty need to use the food programs that are actually now the majority of the funds disbursed within a farm bill and the underlying food costs more.

"In 2018, we budgeted, we'd be spending $65 billion for food stamps, for the nutrition programs, $65 billion. The last two years, we're spending $180 billion a year, almost triple. We could dive down to why that's happening, but nevertheless, we've went from $65 billion to $180 billion and as we look at a budget for this farm bill, they are saying it's going to go down to $120 billion. It's hard for me, as a former business owner, to square all that."

It's likely that full language for the farm bill won't even be finalized to be hashed over until at least November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694426842459.png" alt="Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Roger Marshall participated in an Ag Forum at the Kansas State Fair on September 9, 2023-photo courtesy Renew Kansas Biofuels Association" />
 <figcaption>Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Roger Marshall participated in an Ag Forum at the Kansas State Fair on September 9, 2023-photo courtesy Renew Kansas Biofuels Association</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann said at the Kansas State Fair over the weekend, even though the federal fiscal year ends at the end of the month, the Farm Bill is not done."I'm frustrated with how slowly it's going," Mann said. "That said, I think we are making progress. I think the committee's done a good job listening to producers. We're working our tail off to make sure that this is a Farm Bill that works for our Kansas ag producers, which is the most important thing."U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall used an analogy from his days in obstetric practice."This is my second farm bill," Marshall said. "I know a little bit more about obstetrics than I do a farm bill, as a matter of fact, I saw two kids I delivered over in the sheep showing program, as well. If the farm bill was a pregnant mom, I'd say, we're a week overdue and it's time to induce her."Marshall would rather see the farm bill finished than just an extension, but an extension is what appears most likely at this point in the process."As agriculture goes, so goes Kansas," Marshall said. "What a farm bill does is give us a great amount of certainty. It allows our producers to make a five year plan, rather than a one year plan. When you're an ag lender, it helps you understand, are we going to be able to make this payment year three, year four, year five, as well. I think that's the struggle before us. I think the biggest impediment to getting a farm bill done is our $33 trillion national debt. This country is spending $700 billion on interest."The other problem is that in an inflationary economy, more people in poverty need to use the food programs that are actually now the majority of the funds disbursed within a farm bill and the underlying food costs more."In 2018, we budgeted, we'd be spending $65 billion for food stamps, for the nutrition programs, $65 billion. The last two years, we're spending $180 billion a year, almost triple. We could dive down to why that's happening, but nevertheless, we've went from $65 billion to $180 billion and as we look at a budget for this farm bill, they are saying it's going to go down to $120 billion. It's hard for me, as a former business owner, to square all that."It's likely that full language for the farm bill won't even be finalized to be hashed over until at least November.

Kan. First District Congressman talks farm bill at the State Fair

Farm legislation also affects nutrition programs, say K-State officials

Farm and food policy go hand in hand, so current discussions leading to the next U.S. Farm Bill is likely to affect the availability of food, said Kansas State University agricultural policy specialist Jenny Ifft.

“Food stamps began during the Great Depression based on shared policy objectives of increasing farm income and decreasing hunger in both rural and urban areas,” Ifft said. “Now that program is called SNAP.”

Ten percent of Kansas households experience food insecurity, K-State SNAP-Education coordinator Lisa Ross said.

“The effects of food insecurity can cause health complications, especially in growth and development of children,” Ross said. “SNAP-Ed works to give everyone nutrition education and make sure they get the most out of food assistance programs.”

Nutrition programs are predicted to make up 84% of farm bill spending because of the large role food assistance programs play in the broader social safety net, Ifft adds. SNAP-Ed works to help people eligible for assistance programs lead healthier lives within a limited budget.

“We also initiate and support policy system environmental work designed to promote healthy behavior and decisions in Kansas communities,” Ross said.

SNAP has more than 50 million participants nationwide, most of whom are children or elderly and disabled. Ifft explains that the majority of policy debates are about the 10% of SNAP participants in the “able-bodied without dependents” category.

“The budget for both food programs and farms increased in the last five years, but nutrition increased more,” Ifft said. “That is a topic of debate as well as increasing the budget for SNAP.”

According to Ifft, the SNAP budget was increased administratively by the USDA in the last five years, bringing to question who gets to make those changes -- and ultimately adding to the farm bill debate.

With more than 94,000 households receiving SNAP benefits, SNAP-Ed works to improve health outcomes in SNAP participants and communities.

“It is really important that we work together on this farm bill because without SNAP there is no SNAP-education,” Ross said.

For more resources, Ross recommends visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/ks-snaped/">K-State SNAP-Ed</a>&nbsp;or reaching out to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html">local extension agents</a>.

<h2>Farm legislation also affects nutrition programs, say K-State officials</h2>By MADDY ROHR KSRE Farm and food policy go hand in hand, so current discussions leading to the next U.S. Farm Bill is likely to affect the availability of food, said Kansas State University agricultural policy specialist Jenny Ifft.“Food stamps began during the Great Depression based on shared policy objectives of increasing farm income and decreasing hunger in both rural and urban areas,” Ifft said. “Now that program is called SNAP.”Ten percent of Kansas households experience food insecurity, K-State SNAP-Education coordinator Lisa Ross said.“The effects of food insecurity can cause health complications, especially in growth and development of children,” Ross said. “SNAP-Ed works to give everyone nutrition education and make sure they get the most out of food assistance programs.”Nutrition programs are predicted to make up 84% of farm bill spending because of the large role food assistance programs play in the broader social safety net, Ifft adds. SNAP-Ed works to help people eligible for assistance programs lead healthier lives within a limited budget.“We also initiate and support policy system environmental work designed to promote healthy behavior and decisions in Kansas communities,” Ross said.SNAP has more than 50 million participants nationwide, most of whom are children or elderly and disabled. Ifft explains that the majority of policy debates are about the 10% of SNAP participants in the “able-bodied without dependents” category.“The budget for both food programs and farms increased in the last five years, but nutrition increased more,” Ifft said. “That is a topic of debate as well as increasing the budget for SNAP.”According to Ifft, the SNAP budget was increased administratively by the USDA in the last five years, bringing to question who gets to make those changes -- and ultimately adding to the farm bill debate.With more than 94,000 households receiving SNAP benefits, SNAP-Ed works to improve health outcomes in SNAP participants and communities.“It is really important that we work together on this farm bill because without SNAP there is no SNAP-education,” Ross said.For more resources, Ross recommends visiting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/ks-snaped/">K-State SNAP-Ed</a>&nbsp;or reaching out to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html">local extension agents</a>.

KSRE: Is the farm bill just for farmers?

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Saturday at the Kansas Farm Bureau breakfast at the Kansas State Fair that he believes there is good news on the Senate side when it comes to the appropriations process as the federal fiscal year comes to a close at the end of the month.

"We've passed 12 appropriation bills in the U.S. Senate, out of the committee," Moran said. "Three of them will be on the Senate floor starting Tuesday. One of them is Ag approps. That's a good thing, because it means that we very well may complete the appropriations process, send it to the House and Ag approps will not be one of the appropriation bills that are at risk of being part of a continuing resolution, meaning that no changes would be made to the bill, we would just fund everything the way it was last year, this year. We worked hard as an Ag appropriations subcommittee member and a former chairman of that subcommittee, to make sure that Kansas priorities are included in Ag approps and we will see if we can't get it passed in the next ten days in the United States Senate. I predict that will happen."

Moran told a story about when he brought now House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, to Kansas a few years ago and how building that relationship helps keep the needs of Kansas farmers at the forefront, no matter which party may be in power at any given time.

"Kendall Hodgson in particular, in Rice County, we were at Cheryl's Cafe in Little River, where I learned that she wasn't a vegetarian, because we had coconut cream pie and cheeseburgers and we spent the afternoon at Kendall Hodgson's farm, with the neighboring farmers teaching, learning about what this piece of equipment does and what farmers do. We had her at the State Fair the next morning, where our best ambassadors, our absolute best ambassadors, no offense to any farmer that was with us in Little River, was the 4-H kids and the FFA kids who were here at the State Fair, who gave her a tour of the state fair and showed her their work and their product and their lives. Rosa DeLauro, now, is still somebody that I get greeting cards from at Christmas and we can go to her when Tracey and I need help, because we showed her, in Kansas, you showed her, in Kansas, what farmers do."&nbsp;

This year, Senate Appropriators reported all twelve individual appropriations bills out of Committee for the first time in five years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694278127802.jpeg" alt="U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the Farm Bureau Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair Saturday-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the Farm Bureau Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair Saturday-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Saturday at the Kansas Farm Bureau breakfast at the Kansas State Fair that he believes there is good news on the Senate side when it comes to the appropriations process as the federal fiscal year comes to a close at the end of the month."We've passed 12 appropriation bills in the U.S. Senate, out of the committee," Moran said. "Three of them will be on the Senate floor starting Tuesday. One of them is Ag approps. That's a good thing, because it means that we very well may complete the appropriations process, send it to the House and Ag approps will not be one of the appropriation bills that are at risk of being part of a continuing resolution, meaning that no changes would be made to the bill, we would just fund everything the way it was last year, this year. We worked hard as an Ag appropriations subcommittee member and a former chairman of that subcommittee, to make sure that Kansas priorities are included in Ag approps and we will see if we can't get it passed in the next ten days in the United States Senate. I predict that will happen."Moran told a story about when he brought now House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, to Kansas a few years ago and how building that relationship helps keep the needs of Kansas farmers at the forefront, no matter which party may be in power at any given time."Kendall Hodgson in particular, in Rice County, we were at Cheryl's Cafe in Little River, where I learned that she wasn't a vegetarian, because we had coconut cream pie and cheeseburgers and we spent the afternoon at Kendall Hodgson's farm, with the neighboring farmers teaching, learning about what this piece of equipment does and what farmers do. We had her at the State Fair the next morning, where our best ambassadors, our absolute best ambassadors, no offense to any farmer that was with us in Little River, was the 4-H kids and the FFA kids who were here at the State Fair, who gave her a tour of the state fair and showed her their work and their product and their lives. Rosa DeLauro, now, is still somebody that I get greeting cards from at Christmas and we can go to her when Tracey and I need help, because we showed her, in Kansas, you showed her, in Kansas, what farmers do."&nbsp;This year, Senate Appropriators reported all twelve individual appropriations bills out of Committee for the first time in five years.

Moran at State Fair: Good news on ag appropriations 

CalfDex now available for IPhone, Android devices

K-State Research and Extension news service

Kansas State University agricultural economics and veterinary medicine staff are taking their knowledge on animal record-keeping to mobile phones with an app that is now available in app stores for IPhone and Android devices.

K-State livestock economist Ted Schroeder said the app, called CalfDex, is free to download. It was developed by agricultural economist master’s graduate Jake Hefley (who now works at the University of Missouri), master’s candidate Audrey Marchek, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson and Schroeder.

The project was funded by a grant from the USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program.

“Our team is eager to provide users with a convenient and easy-to-use modern animal data management tool to keep pace in an ever-changing industry,” Schroeder said. “Considering the growing importance of information exchange in the beef supply chain, there is value in an application that has the ability to store and upload data at the whole-herd and individual animal levels, while also facilitating easy downstream data sharing.”

The app is designed for use in the field even where cell phone service is not available. Schroeder said CalfDex enables producers to maintain efficient and accurate calving, weaning and treatment records – mitigating the risk of clutter, data loss and misplacement that is commonly seen with paper records. The data is also stored across calving seasons for easy access.

Schroeder said the app allows users to protect information with a unique email address and password, established by the user.

“Because it has the capability to track multiple herds and individual animal information, CalfDex is tailored to meet the needs of all sizes of calving operations, from large purebred enterprises to a 4-H or FFA student beginning their first beef breeding project,” Schroeder said.

More information on the app, including a description of its functions,&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/livestock-meat/cross-subject-areas/introduction-and-emerging-features-calfdex-new-calving">is available online</a>, as well as on&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">AgManager,</a>&nbsp;a website maintained by K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

<h2>CalfDex now available for IPhone, Android devices</h2>K-State Research and Extension news serviceKansas State University agricultural economics and veterinary medicine staff are taking their knowledge on animal record-keeping to mobile phones with an app that is now available in app stores for IPhone and Android devices.K-State livestock economist Ted Schroeder said the app, called CalfDex, is free to download. It was developed by agricultural economist master’s graduate Jake Hefley (who now works at the University of Missouri), master’s candidate Audrey Marchek, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson and Schroeder.The project was funded by a grant from the USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program.“Our team is eager to provide users with a convenient and easy-to-use modern animal data management tool to keep pace in an ever-changing industry,” Schroeder said. “Considering the growing importance of information exchange in the beef supply chain, there is value in an application that has the ability to store and upload data at the whole-herd and individual animal levels, while also facilitating easy downstream data sharing.”The app is designed for use in the field even where cell phone service is not available. Schroeder said CalfDex enables producers to maintain efficient and accurate calving, weaning and treatment records – mitigating the risk of clutter, data loss and misplacement that is commonly seen with paper records. The data is also stored across calving seasons for easy access.Schroeder said the app allows users to protect information with a unique email address and password, established by the user.“Because it has the capability to track multiple herds and individual animal information, CalfDex is tailored to meet the needs of all sizes of calving operations, from large purebred enterprises to a 4-H or FFA student beginning their first beef breeding project,” Schroeder said.More information on the app, including a description of its functions,&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/livestock-meat/cross-subject-areas/introduction-and-emerging-features-calfdex-new-calving">is available online</a>, as well as on&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/">AgManager,</a>&nbsp;a website maintained by K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

K-State app for animal record-keeping now available

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ceilidhkern/">CEILIDH KERN</a>&nbsp;

The University of Missouri rolled out its first all-electric, autonomous tractor Tuesday, calling it a “revolutionary piece of technology” that could pioneer new agricultural practices and make farming more efficient and sustainable.

The Monarch MK-V tractor, bought with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the Midwest’s first fully autonomous tractor, according to Christopher Daubert, dean of the MU College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. The tractor will be used for research by CAFNR, the MU College of Engineering, and MU Extension.

The MK-V runs solely on electricity and is equipped with cameras and sensors that allow it to be driven remotely. Its artificial intelligence capabilities are designed to collect data and analyze crop health, allowing the machine to align with future agricultural innovation.

Kent Shannon, a CAFNR professor specializing in agricultural systems and technology, piloted the tractor for Tuesday’s demonstration. He said the MK-V was well-suited for smaller-scale farms, including his own.

“It provides some opportunities that a traditional tractor wouldn’t,” he said. “I can see me using this on a beef cattle farm at home.”

The tractor does come with a high price tag: A standard model starts at about $89,000, more than twice the price of a traditional tractor of the same size, Shannon said.

Even so, he emphasized that the total value of the tractor has yet to be fully understood, meaning that the price might actually be affordable given the advanced capabilities it offers.

“If I went to the local dealership, yeah, I’d find something a lot cheaper than this,” he said. “But if you think about agriculture as a whole, it’s not exorbitant.”

“You might even think it was more than $90,000 for a tractor like this,” he added. “You’ve got to think of all of the technologies on it — there’s no other tractor of this stature that has both electric and autonomy capability.”

Sazzad Rifat, a PhD student at MU studying biosystems engineering, said he looks forward to learning about the tractor’s autonomous driving features and its ability to maneuver around obstacles.

To better understand the MK-V’s technologies, university researchers are interested in exploring its ability to support farmers with disabilities.

Findings from this research, as well as information about the MK-V, will be shared with farmers through MU Extension’s AgrAbility program, which helps farmers with disabilities overcome challenges.

For Missouri’s small-scale farms, this tractor’s technological capability could be revolutionary, said Dan Downing, a water quality expert with MU Extension in a news release.

A more sophisticated hydraulic system and engine reduce emissions that may interfere with farm conditions, Downing said. The tractor also scores very well environmentally on air and water quality measurements.

Because of the nascency of this new technology, no state subsidies are yet available to help farmers pay for it, according to Teng Lim, a professor at MU Extension. There is, however, a “good chance” of future state support, he said.

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/mu-unveils-the-first-fully-electric-autonomous-tractor-in-the-midwest/article_6d1f4dea-4c27-11ee-b22d-e3a740636d5f.html#tncms-source=Featured">the Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694017307494.png" alt="William Lee, left, and Kent Shannon look at the tractor before the demonstration on Monday at Sanborn Field in Columbia (Kate Cassady/Missourian)." />
 <figcaption>William Lee, left, and Kent Shannon look at the tractor before the demonstration on Monday at Sanborn Field in Columbia (Kate Cassady/Missourian).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ceilidhkern/">CEILIDH KERN</a>&nbsp;The University of Missouri rolled out its first all-electric, autonomous tractor Tuesday, calling it a “revolutionary piece of technology” that could pioneer new agricultural practices and make farming more efficient and sustainable.The Monarch MK-V tractor, bought with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the Midwest’s first fully autonomous tractor, according to Christopher Daubert, dean of the MU College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. The tractor will be used for research by CAFNR, the MU College of Engineering, and MU Extension.The MK-V runs solely on electricity and is equipped with cameras and sensors that allow it to be driven remotely. Its artificial intelligence capabilities are designed to collect data and analyze crop health, allowing the machine to align with future agricultural innovation.Kent Shannon, a CAFNR professor specializing in agricultural systems and technology, piloted the tractor for Tuesday’s demonstration. He said the MK-V was well-suited for smaller-scale farms, including his own.“It provides some opportunities that a traditional tractor wouldn’t,” he said. “I can see me using this on a beef cattle farm at home.”The tractor does come with a high price tag: A standard model starts at about $89,000, more than twice the price of a traditional tractor of the same size, Shannon said.Even so, he emphasized that the total value of the tractor has yet to be fully understood, meaning that the price might actually be affordable given the advanced capabilities it offers.“If I went to the local dealership, yeah, I’d find something a lot cheaper than this,” he said. “But if you think about agriculture as a whole, it’s not exorbitant.”“You might even think it was more than $90,000 for a tractor like this,” he added. “You’ve got to think of all of the technologies on it — there’s no other tractor of this stature that has both electric and autonomy capability.”Sazzad Rifat, a PhD student at MU studying biosystems engineering, said he looks forward to learning about the tractor’s autonomous driving features and its ability to maneuver around obstacles.To better understand the MK-V’s technologies, university researchers are interested in exploring its ability to support farmers with disabilities.Findings from this research, as well as information about the MK-V, will be shared with farmers through MU Extension’s AgrAbility program, which helps farmers with disabilities overcome challenges.For Missouri’s small-scale farms, this tractor’s technological capability could be revolutionary, said Dan Downing, a water quality expert with MU Extension in a news release.A more sophisticated hydraulic system and engine reduce emissions that may interfere with farm conditions, Downing said. The tractor also scores very well environmentally on air and water quality measurements.Because of the nascency of this new technology, no state subsidies are yet available to help farmers pay for it, according to Teng Lim, a professor at MU Extension. There is, however, a “good chance” of future state support, he said.This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/mu-unveils-the-first-fully-electric-autonomous-tractor-in-the-midwest/article_6d1f4dea-4c27-11ee-b22d-e3a740636d5f.html#tncms-source=Featured">the Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

First fully electric, autonomous tractor in the Midwest unveiled

K-State cattle experts share advantages of composite sires in a commercial herd

By LISA MOSER&nbsp;K-State Research and Extension

Many commercial cattle producers wanting to leverage genetic diversity incorporate sires of different breeds as a way to get the benefit of heterosis, said the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Experts on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/08/18/avc-conference-summary-treatment-strategies-for-sick-cattle-on-summer-pastures-role-of-a-composite-sire-in-a-commercial-breeding-program/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.

“Heterosis is a combination that gives some vigor in areas of the genetic profile that are not highly heritable specifically in reproduction and health,” K-State veterinarian Brad White said.

Instead of rotating the breeds of sires, some producers are now using composite sires to accomplish the goal of a genetic advantage, according to K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

“A composite bull has a specific combination of breeds,” Phillip Lancaster, K-State beef cattle nutritionist, explained. “Because it is a crossbred animal, it has heterosis advantages that can be passed through the cows to the offspring in a consistent manner.”

Additionally, some composite sires have Expected Progeny Difference data much like purebred cattle to help predict the offspring performance, Larson said.

“Composites with EPDs available can be an appealing option to a producer who wants to follow a simplified breeding system,” he said. “While we don’t get maximum heterosis from the composites, there is some genetic benefit.”

Along with that, genomic testing allows producers to learn in greater detail what the performance of that particular animal will be, according to Lancaster.

“Producers can select the individual that has a high level of heterosis within its genome to improve the hybrid vigor,” he said.

To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/08/18/avc-conference-summary-treatment-strategies-for-sick-cattle-on-summer-pastures-role-of-a-composite-sire-in-a-commercial-breeding-program/" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

<h2>K-State cattle experts share advantages of composite sires in a commercial herd</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692710255317.jpeg" alt="Some cattle producers are now using composite sires to accomplish the goal of a genetic advantage, said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson. KSRE Photo" />
 <figcaption>Some cattle producers are now using composite sires to accomplish the goal of a genetic advantage, said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson. KSRE Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LISA MOSER&nbsp;K-State Research and ExtensionMany commercial cattle producers wanting to leverage genetic diversity incorporate sires of different breeds as a way to get the benefit of heterosis, said the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Experts on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/08/18/avc-conference-summary-treatment-strategies-for-sick-cattle-on-summer-pastures-role-of-a-composite-sire-in-a-commercial-breeding-program/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.“Heterosis is a combination that gives some vigor in areas of the genetic profile that are not highly heritable specifically in reproduction and health,” K-State veterinarian Brad White said.Instead of rotating the breeds of sires, some producers are now using composite sires to accomplish the goal of a genetic advantage, according to K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.“A composite bull has a specific combination of breeds,” Phillip Lancaster, K-State beef cattle nutritionist, explained. “Because it is a crossbred animal, it has heterosis advantages that can be passed through the cows to the offspring in a consistent manner.”Additionally, some composite sires have Expected Progeny Difference data much like purebred cattle to help predict the offspring performance, Larson said.“Composites with EPDs available can be an appealing option to a producer who wants to follow a simplified breeding system,” he said. “While we don’t get maximum heterosis from the composites, there is some genetic benefit.”Along with that, genomic testing allows producers to learn in greater detail what the performance of that particular animal will be, according to Lancaster.“Producers can select the individual that has a high level of heterosis within its genome to improve the hybrid vigor,” he said.To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/08/18/avc-conference-summary-treatment-strategies-for-sick-cattle-on-summer-pastures-role-of-a-composite-sire-in-a-commercial-breeding-program/" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

Cattle Chat: Role of composite sires

By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators approved bipartisan amendments to the annual defense policy bill Tuesday night that would prohibit China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/17/limits-on-foreign-ownership-of-u-s-farmland-gain-support-in-congress-despite-skepticism/">purchasing</a>&nbsp;U.S. farmland and screen American investment in high-tech ventures on foreign adversary soil.

By a 91-7 vote, the lawmakers approved a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/118th-congress/senate-amendment/813/text?s=2&amp;r=9&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Mike%22%2C%22rounds%22%5D%7D">measure</a>&nbsp;that would require review of — and direct the president to halt or waive — agricultural land transactions by the four nations.

The amendment would empower the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to evaluate the land deals. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius">committee</a>&nbsp;already reviews other inbound investment transactions,

Of the 40 million acres of U.S. forest and farmland owned by foreign investors at the end of 2021, China accounted for 383,935 acres, or less than 1%, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/EPAS/PDF/2021_afida_annual_report_through_12_31_2021.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;on foreign land holdings.

The 2022 purchase of 300 acres by a Chinese-owned corn processing company near an Air Force base in North Dakota triggered concern among some lawmakers, as did the discovery in February of a Chinese surveillance&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/03/chinese-surveillance-balloon-now-drifting-across-the-middle-of-the-u-s-pentagon-confirms/">balloon</a>&nbsp;hovering over Montana, home to many U.S. nuclear missiles.

The amendment was co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Ted Cruz of Texas, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven of North Dakota, Katie Britt of Alabama, and Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

“In recent years, our country has seen firsthand attempts by our near peer competitors to acquire land adjacent to our military bases,” Rounds said on the Senate floor Tuesday.&nbsp; “In 2020, a Chinese-led company planned to build a wind energy farm project near Del Rio, Texas, only miles away from Laughlin Air Force base, where U.S. pilots are trained.”

State lawmakers blocked the wind farm project in 2021, but recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-chinese-wind-farm-green-energy-6cd629303e8870e1942c170ebc52d7bc">gave</a>&nbsp;it a green light after a company from Spain backed it instead.

As of 2021, Canadian investors held the largest amount of forest and farmland, followed by the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom and Germany, according to the USDA.

Senators also voted 91-6 on an amendment to screen investment by U.S. companies in China, Iran, North Korea and Russia in high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors, satellite communications and quantum computing.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas have been pushing legislation since 2021 that would monitor the offshoring of supply chains in industries and locations with national security implications.

The annual defense bill “tackles the toughest national security issues facing our nation,” Casey said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “And the technological competition with the People’s Republic of China is certainly at the top of that list.”

“Right now we’re in competition with a communist government that doesn’t play by the rules,” he continued in remarks before the vote. “The Chinese government employs economic espionage and it exploits the United States’ open research and innovation to build up its own capabilities.”

U.S. outbound investment totaled $6.58 trillion at the end of 2022,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/direct-investment-country-and-industry-2022">according to</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Most was concentrated in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland and Canada. Just over $1 trillion landed in Latin America and the Western Hemisphere, while roughly $951 million went to Asia and the Pacific. The Middle East and Africa were near the bottom of the list with just over $80 million and $46 million respectively.

The Casey-Cornyn amendment would require U.S. corporations and other entities to notify the secretary of the Treasury prior to a deal.

Unlike foreign investment that comes into the U.S., no federal mechanism screens the dollars American companies are investing outside the nation.

The National Defense Authorization Act is the annual defense policy bill that continues defense policies, nuclear weapons programs and authorizes defense-related spending.

Lawmakers often use the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10516">massive bill</a>&nbsp;as a vehicle for various policy matters because Congress consistently enacts the legislation each year. After the Senate bill is passed, it will go to a conference committee with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/14/defense-bill-that-targets-abortion-access-trans-health-racial-equity-passes-u-s-house/">a House-passed bill</a>&nbsp;that targets abortion access, transgender health and racial equity.

The legislation does not appropriate money for the Department of Defense and other relevant federal agencies. Rather, the bill authorizes how the funds should be spent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605548577424.jpeg" alt="Photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. senators approved bipartisan amendments to the annual defense policy bill Tuesday night that would prohibit China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/17/limits-on-foreign-ownership-of-u-s-farmland-gain-support-in-congress-despite-skepticism/">purchasing</a>&nbsp;U.S. farmland and screen American investment in high-tech ventures on foreign adversary soil.By a 91-7 vote, the lawmakers approved a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/118th-congress/senate-amendment/813/text?s=2&amp;r=9&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Mike%22%2C%22rounds%22%5D%7D">measure</a>&nbsp;that would require review of — and direct the president to halt or waive — agricultural land transactions by the four nations.The amendment would empower the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to evaluate the land deals. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius">committee</a>&nbsp;already reviews other inbound investment transactions,Of the 40 million acres of U.S. forest and farmland owned by foreign investors at the end of 2021, China accounted for 383,935 acres, or less than 1%, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/EPAS/PDF/2021_afida_annual_report_through_12_31_2021.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;on foreign land holdings.The 2022 purchase of 300 acres by a Chinese-owned corn processing company near an Air Force base in North Dakota triggered concern among some lawmakers, as did the discovery in February of a Chinese surveillance&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/03/chinese-surveillance-balloon-now-drifting-across-the-middle-of-the-u-s-pentagon-confirms/">balloon</a>&nbsp;hovering over Montana, home to many U.S. nuclear missiles.The amendment was co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Ted Cruz of Texas, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven of North Dakota, Katie Britt of Alabama, and Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio.“In recent years, our country has seen firsthand attempts by our near peer competitors to acquire land adjacent to our military bases,” Rounds said on the Senate floor Tuesday.&nbsp; “In 2020, a Chinese-led company planned to build a wind energy farm project near Del Rio, Texas, only miles away from Laughlin Air Force base, where U.S. pilots are trained.”State lawmakers blocked the wind farm project in 2021, but recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-chinese-wind-farm-green-energy-6cd629303e8870e1942c170ebc52d7bc">gave</a>&nbsp;it a green light after a company from Spain backed it instead.As of 2021, Canadian investors held the largest amount of forest and farmland, followed by the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom and Germany, according to the USDA.<h2>Investment abroad</h2>Senators also voted 91-6 on an amendment to screen investment by U.S. companies in China, Iran, North Korea and Russia in high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors, satellite communications and quantum computing.Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas have been pushing legislation since 2021 that would monitor the offshoring of supply chains in industries and locations with national security implications.The annual defense bill “tackles the toughest national security issues facing our nation,” Casey said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “And the technological competition with the People’s Republic of China is certainly at the top of that list.”“Right now we’re in competition with a communist government that doesn’t play by the rules,” he continued in remarks before the vote. “The Chinese government employs economic espionage and it exploits the United States’ open research and innovation to build up its own capabilities.”U.S. outbound investment totaled $6.58 trillion at the end of 2022,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/direct-investment-country-and-industry-2022">according to</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.Most was concentrated in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland and Canada. Just over $1 trillion landed in Latin America and the Western Hemisphere, while roughly $951 million went to Asia and the Pacific. The Middle East and Africa were near the bottom of the list with just over $80 million and $46 million respectively.The Casey-Cornyn amendment would require U.S. corporations and other entities to notify the secretary of the Treasury prior to a deal.Unlike foreign investment that comes into the U.S., no federal mechanism screens the dollars American companies are investing outside the nation.<h2>Defense bill</h2>The National Defense Authorization Act is the annual defense policy bill that continues defense policies, nuclear weapons programs and authorizes defense-related spending.Lawmakers often use the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10516">massive bill</a>&nbsp;as a vehicle for various policy matters because Congress consistently enacts the legislation each year. After the Senate bill is passed, it will go to a conference committee with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/14/defense-bill-that-targets-abortion-access-trans-health-racial-equity-passes-u-s-house/">a House-passed bill</a>&nbsp;that targets abortion access, transgender health and racial equity.The legislation does not appropriate money for the Department of Defense and other relevant federal agencies. Rather, the bill authorizes how the funds should be spent.The 2022 NDAA authorized $768.2 billion.

U.S. Senate votes to curb farmland purchases by China, Iran, North Korea, Russia

This is day 12 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Wheat harvest continues to be a slog with producers fighting rains and weeds to get the crop across the scale. Harvest is now 71 percent complete, well behind 98 percent last year and 94 percent for the five-year average, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop progress report for the week ending July 16, 2023.&nbsp;

In the far southwestern corner of the state, Morgan Walls with Elkhart Co-op reports wheat harvest in Morton County has been a drag. Weather has been inhibitive; quality has been a challenge and weeds continue to be a struggle.&nbsp;

Wheat harvest here should be wrapped up by the fourth of July, but this year that’s when the first loads hit the scales. With rain delays that have continuously deteriorated test weights, wheat harvest should finally finish by the end of the week.&nbsp;

But it’s hard to gauge where harvest is at, as 70 to 75 percent of planted acres were zeroed out by crop insurance, and more acres were taken out by spotty hail in the last couple of weeks. Test weights are averaging lighter than preferred at about 58 pounds per bushel with protein ranging between 12 and 14 percent. Yields are all over the place, from five bushels an acre all the way up to a very small area that had timely moisture and is seeing averages around 70 bushels per acre.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Following a busy weekend of cutting in Ness County harvest is all but done, according to Brad Cowan, general manager of CGS in Bazine. After having started cutting around June 23, producers are just tired after fighting the weeds, fighting the weather and fighting green wheat.&nbsp;

Yields ranged from 15 to 55 bushels per acre with test weights averaging 59.6 pounds per bushel and average protein coming in consistently just short of 13 percent. Fields that were close, but not released by crop insurance, benefitted from a perfect two-week period of filling weather, resulting in yields at 25 to 30 bushels per acre.&nbsp;

Weeds have been a continuous struggle, which means more work for the elevators. CGS will take in about the same number of bushels as last year, which is roughly half of the five-year average. That wheat will be loaded by train onto the short line and delivered to flour mills in eastern Kansas.&nbsp;

Weeds are also the main struggle in Meade County, where Dave Strecker with Alliance Ag and Grain LLC reported from Fowler in the eastern part of the county. Harvest here has been going on for a long time, having started around June 27 and still only about three-quarters finished.&nbsp;

Strecker said grain quality is pretty good with better than average proteins, but bushels are down dramatically due to approximately 65 percent abandonment of planted acres. There are several producers who won’t bring a single bushel of wheat to town.&nbsp;

The wheat that is coming in is yielding 20 to 35 bushels per acre, compared to the 60 to 70 bushels per acre for a normal year. Overall, he estimated the area will take in a maximum of 25 percent of bushels compared to the five-year average.&nbsp;

But, by this time next week, Strecker expects that all the wheat that will be harvested will be in the bin. And that’s much-needed as the corn is tasseling. He estimated only five weeks until the first load of dryland corn arrives, not a lot of time for the elevators to turn house and prepare for fall harvest.&nbsp;

With triple-digit temperatures expected in coming days, producers will likely make quick harvest progress if summer storms stay away. Stay tuned as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next report scheduled for July 18.&nbsp;

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689639526635.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By Julia Debes for Kansas WheatThis is day 12 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.Wheat harvest continues to be a slog with producers fighting rains and weeds to get the crop across the scale. Harvest is now 71 percent complete, well behind 98 percent last year and 94 percent for the five-year average, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop progress report for the week ending July 16, 2023.&nbsp;In the far southwestern corner of the state, Morgan Walls with Elkhart Co-op reports wheat harvest in Morton County has been a drag. Weather has been inhibitive; quality has been a challenge and weeds continue to be a struggle.&nbsp;Wheat harvest here should be wrapped up by the fourth of July, but this year that’s when the first loads hit the scales. With rain delays that have continuously deteriorated test weights, wheat harvest should finally finish by the end of the week.&nbsp;But it’s hard to gauge where harvest is at, as 70 to 75 percent of planted acres were zeroed out by crop insurance, and more acres were taken out by spotty hail in the last couple of weeks. Test weights are averaging lighter than preferred at about 58 pounds per bushel with protein ranging between 12 and 14 percent. Yields are all over the place, from five bushels an acre all the way up to a very small area that had timely moisture and is seeing averages around 70 bushels per acre.&nbsp;&nbsp;Following a busy weekend of cutting in Ness County harvest is all but done, according to Brad Cowan, general manager of CGS in Bazine. After having started cutting around June 23, producers are just tired after fighting the weeds, fighting the weather and fighting green wheat.&nbsp;Yields ranged from 15 to 55 bushels per acre with test weights averaging 59.6 pounds per bushel and average protein coming in consistently just short of 13 percent. Fields that were close, but not released by crop insurance, benefitted from a perfect two-week period of filling weather, resulting in yields at 25 to 30 bushels per acre.&nbsp;Weeds have been a continuous struggle, which means more work for the elevators. CGS will take in about the same number of bushels as last year, which is roughly half of the five-year average. That wheat will be loaded by train onto the short line and delivered to flour mills in eastern Kansas.&nbsp;Weeds are also the main struggle in Meade County, where Dave Strecker with Alliance Ag and Grain LLC reported from Fowler in the eastern part of the county. Harvest here has been going on for a long time, having started around June 27 and still only about three-quarters finished.&nbsp;Strecker said grain quality is pretty good with better than average proteins, but bushels are down dramatically due to approximately 65 percent abandonment of planted acres. There are several producers who won’t bring a single bushel of wheat to town.&nbsp;The wheat that is coming in is yielding 20 to 35 bushels per acre, compared to the 60 to 70 bushels per acre for a normal year. Overall, he estimated the area will take in a maximum of 25 percent of bushels compared to the five-year average.&nbsp;But, by this time next week, Strecker expects that all the wheat that will be harvested will be in the bin. And that’s much-needed as the corn is tasseling. He estimated only five weeks until the first load of dryland corn arrives, not a lot of time for the elevators to turn house and prepare for fall harvest.&nbsp;With triple-digit temperatures expected in coming days, producers will likely make quick harvest progress if summer storms stay away. Stay tuned as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next report scheduled for July 18.&nbsp;The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

Day 12, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

By Jared Strong <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">States Newsroom&nbsp;</a>

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Former President Donald Trump claimed he is the “most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had” during a campaign stop in Iowa and joked that his payments to them during a trade war with China should guarantee he will win the state’s caucuses.

“How the hell can I not? I gave the farmers $28 billion,” he said Friday in a ballroom of the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

Trump was referring to bailout money paid to farmers in 2019 amid his efforts to rework the country’s trade policies, which included imposing tariffs on Chinese products. The country retaliated, in part, by imposing its own tariffs on soybeans, crippling an important export market for Iowa farmers.

Last year, the United States exported about $154 billion of goods to China, up about 19% from 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Exports dropped to about $107 billion during the trade war in 2019.

Trump said farmers benefited from the dispute and his trade renegotiations with other countries such as Canada and Mexico. He said farmers also benefited from tax cuts implemented by Congress during his administration, along with a temporary increase in the exemption to the federal tax that is levied on the estates of wealthy people after they die.

“A lot of times they lose the farm,” he said of children of farmers who can’t afford to pay.

Further, Trump said his administration supported the ethanol industry by allowing summertime sales of E15 — a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol. A&nbsp;federal judge later reversed that action, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to lift restrictions on its sales without approval from Congress.

Trump said he would continue to negotiate better trade deals for farmers if reelected and would prevent Chinese ownership of American farmland.

State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Wilton Republican who is a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign in Iowa, launched the Friday event with a panel discussion about agriculture that included talks about water quality restrictions, farm subsidies and other issues.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump has been the single best president in United States history for Iowa agriculture and farmers in general,” Kaufmann said. “I mean, look, he brought the rain today.”

Rally attendees had long waits in sometimes heavy rain to get into the venue, which was considerably smaller than the large-scale rallies for which Trump is known. Staff at the Mid-America Center said the ballroom could accommodate about 2,000 people.

As they waited inside, there were periodic chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “Build the wall!” There was also an impromptu recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

It was the Republican frontrunner’s first appearance in Iowa since&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/06/09/the-indictment-is-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-in-classified-documents-probe/">his 37-count federal indictment</a>&nbsp;last month that accuses Trump of scheming to keep classified documents from his time as president.

“It’s all bull—,” Trump said Friday. “I’m the only person who ever got indicted that got more popular.”

Trump, as a presidential candidate seven years ago, made repeated statements about the importance of protecting classified information, according to the indictment: “No one will be above the law,” he said in August 2016.

But he has pivoted to claim he is being unfairly targeted by the federal government for political reasons and that others — including President Joe Biden and his first presidential opponent Hillary Clinton — are guilty of similar offenses.

However, the accusations against Trump stand apart in that he allegedly took more than 100 classified documents from his former presidency to his resort and home in Florida, stored them haphazardly, and disclosed some of the information they contained to people without appropriate security clearances.

That doesn’t matter to Travis Humbert, of Underwood, who attended the rally with his 13-year-old son.

“It could be true,” said Humbert, who voted twice in presidential elections for Trump and plans to again. “But people are stuck in the past. Who cares? We all have a past. Let’s move on. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and he’s actually trying to work for the American people.”

The federal indictment is the second criminal allegation against him that has yielded formal charges this year. In April, a New York grand jury indicted Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/30/trump-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-according-to-reports/">for falsifying business records</a>. The state indictment targets Trump’s claims that certain payments to an attorney were for legal fees, while investigators allege they were reimbursements for a hush-money payment to an adult film actress.

And there are two pending investigations into whether Trump attempted to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia — a state Biden narrowly won — and into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack of the U.S. Capitol.

“It’s a joke — a total joke,” Patty Murray, of Omaha, said of the criminal inquiries into Trump.

Murray wants Trump to get a second term so that he can finish building a wall at the country’s southern border with Mexico, promote international peace and bolster the economy.

She said the investigations and indictments have done little to diminish Trump’s credibility with his supporters.

“It’s helped him,” Murray said. “Everybody says it’s a joke.”

Jeanne Greisen, a Lincoln, Nebraska,resident who volunteered at Friday’s rally, agreed: “People like to support somebody that’s being attacked and doing the right thing. They like to back the small guy.”

Trump pledged last month to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden and his family if he is elected president again. Greisen hesitated to express support for politically motivated investigations but said: “I think it just needs to be fair across the board. The same law needs to be applied to every person.”

Greisen said she will vote for Trump, hoping in a second term he can require public school children to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, lessen the prevalence of human trafficking and reduce the size and scope of government.

Greisen, Murray and Humbert also said that the economy has suffered under Biden’s leadership and that inflation is still a major problem.

“Gas prices need to come back down,” said Humbert, of Woodward.

<a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/iowa/">Recent polls</a>&nbsp;of potential Republican caucus voters in Iowa show Trump with double-digit percentage point leads over his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nationally, pollsters show a wider margin of support for Trump, with Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, in a distant third.

Trump lobbed numerous personal attacks at DeSantis for being a “lousy candidate” for governor who was only elected because of Trump’s support in 2018.

Trump said that his status as the clear frontrunner is what made him a target for criminal investigations and that he is acting as a shield for the nation’s citizens.

“They want to take away my freedom because I sure as hell won’t let them take your freedom,” he said to rapturous applause. He later added: “In the end, they’re not after me. They’re after you, and I just happen to be standing in the way.”

He was not more specific about who was planning to take freedoms from citizens nor what specific freedoms they are.

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the state’s sole elected Democrat to currently hold a statewide office, criticized Trump at a news conference in Des Moines on Friday before the former president’s Council Bluffs event.

Sand said Trump is advocating for the same “extremist” policies that Iowa Republican lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds advocate for. He pointed to Reynolds’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/05/reynolds-announces-special-session-on-abortion-for-july-11/">call for a special session</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, July 11, to pass abortion legislation following the Iowa Supreme Court decision not allowing enforcement of the state’s 2018 six-week abortion ban.

“So as Donald Trump comes to Iowa today, it’s important to remember that he bragged about being the one to get Roe overturned,” Sand said. “It’s important to remember that they are paving the way for the legislative bans that Republicans are going to do right here in Iowa.”

Trump mentioned abortion briefly and said the Supreme Court decision gives abortion opponents more leverage to negotiate for regulations that are less extreme than what he said Democrats want. He said he supports exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

Of the court decision to eliminate a right to abortion at the federal level: “Good things are going to come about it, and you move it back to the states where all the legal scholars said it should be,” Trump said.

This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/07/trump-appeals-to-farmers-in-iowa-campaign-visit/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688866742399.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump said he is a champion of farmers in a campaign visit to Council Bluffs on July 7, 2023. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump said he is a champion of farmers in a campaign visit to Council Bluffs on July 7, 2023. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jared Strong <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">States Newsroom&nbsp;</a>COUNCIL BLUFFS — Former President Donald Trump claimed he is the “most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had” during a campaign stop in Iowa and joked that his payments to them during a trade war with China should guarantee he will win the state’s caucuses.“How the hell can I not? I gave the farmers $28 billion,” he said Friday in a ballroom of the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.Trump was referring to bailout money paid to farmers in 2019 amid his efforts to rework the country’s trade policies, which included imposing tariffs on Chinese products. The country retaliated, in part, by imposing its own tariffs on soybeans, crippling an important export market for Iowa farmers.Last year, the United States exported about $154 billion of goods to China, up about 19% from 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Exports dropped to about $107 billion during the trade war in 2019.Trump said farmers benefited from the dispute and his trade renegotiations with other countries such as Canada and Mexico. He said farmers also benefited from tax cuts implemented by Congress during his administration, along with a temporary increase in the exemption to the federal tax that is levied on the estates of wealthy people after they die.“A lot of times they lose the farm,” he said of children of farmers who can’t afford to pay.Further, Trump said his administration supported the ethanol industry by allowing summertime sales of E15 — a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol. A&nbsp;federal judge later reversed that action, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to lift restrictions on its sales without approval from Congress.Trump said he would continue to negotiate better trade deals for farmers if reelected and would prevent Chinese ownership of American farmland.State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Wilton Republican who is a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign in Iowa, launched the Friday event with a panel discussion about agriculture that included talks about water quality restrictions, farm subsidies and other issues.“There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump has been the single best president in United States history for Iowa agriculture and farmers in general,” Kaufmann said. “I mean, look, he brought the rain today.”Rally attendees had long waits in sometimes heavy rain to get into the venue, which was considerably smaller than the large-scale rallies for which Trump is known. Staff at the Mid-America Center said the ballroom could accommodate about 2,000 people.As they waited inside, there were periodic chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “Build the wall!” There was also an impromptu recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.<h2>Shadow of indictments</h2>It was the Republican frontrunner’s first appearance in Iowa since&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/06/09/the-indictment-is-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-in-classified-documents-probe/">his 37-count federal indictment</a>&nbsp;last month that accuses Trump of scheming to keep classified documents from his time as president.“It’s all bull—,” Trump said Friday. “I’m the only person who ever got indicted that got more popular.”Trump, as a presidential candidate seven years ago, made repeated statements about the importance of protecting classified information, according to the indictment: “No one will be above the law,” he said in August 2016.But he has pivoted to claim he is being unfairly targeted by the federal government for political reasons and that others — including President Joe Biden and his first presidential opponent Hillary Clinton — are guilty of similar offenses.However, the accusations against Trump stand apart in that he allegedly took more than 100 classified documents from his former presidency to his resort and home in Florida, stored them haphazardly, and disclosed some of the information they contained to people without appropriate security clearances.That doesn’t matter to Travis Humbert, of Underwood, who attended the rally with his 13-year-old son.“It could be true,” said Humbert, who voted twice in presidential elections for Trump and plans to again. “But people are stuck in the past. Who cares? We all have a past. Let’s move on. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and he’s actually trying to work for the American people.”The federal indictment is the second criminal allegation against him that has yielded formal charges this year. In April, a New York grand jury indicted Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/30/trump-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-according-to-reports/">for falsifying business records</a>. The state indictment targets Trump’s claims that certain payments to an attorney were for legal fees, while investigators allege they were reimbursements for a hush-money payment to an adult film actress.And there are two pending investigations into whether Trump attempted to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia — a state Biden narrowly won — and into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack of the U.S. Capitol.“It’s a joke — a total joke,” Patty Murray, of Omaha, said of the criminal inquiries into Trump.Murray wants Trump to get a second term so that he can finish building a wall at the country’s southern border with Mexico, promote international peace and bolster the economy.She said the investigations and indictments have done little to diminish Trump’s credibility with his supporters.“It’s helped him,” Murray said. “Everybody says it’s a joke.”Jeanne Greisen, a Lincoln, Nebraska,resident who volunteered at Friday’s rally, agreed: “People like to support somebody that’s being attacked and doing the right thing. They like to back the small guy.”Trump pledged last month to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden and his family if he is elected president again. Greisen hesitated to express support for politically motivated investigations but said: “I think it just needs to be fair across the board. The same law needs to be applied to every person.”Greisen said she will vote for Trump, hoping in a second term he can require public school children to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, lessen the prevalence of human trafficking and reduce the size and scope of government.Greisen, Murray and Humbert also said that the economy has suffered under Biden’s leadership and that inflation is still a major problem.“Gas prices need to come back down,” said Humbert, of Woodward.<a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/iowa/">Recent polls</a>&nbsp;of potential Republican caucus voters in Iowa show Trump with double-digit percentage point leads over his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nationally, pollsters show a wider margin of support for Trump, with Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, in a distant third.Trump lobbed numerous personal attacks at DeSantis for being a “lousy candidate” for governor who was only elected because of Trump’s support in 2018.Trump said that his status as the clear frontrunner is what made him a target for criminal investigations and that he is acting as a shield for the nation’s citizens.“They want to take away my freedom because I sure as hell won’t let them take your freedom,” he said to rapturous applause. He later added: “In the end, they’re not after me. They’re after you, and I just happen to be standing in the way.”He was not more specific about who was planning to take freedoms from citizens nor what specific freedoms they are.<h2>Democrats point to Roe</h2>Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the state’s sole elected Democrat to currently hold a statewide office, criticized Trump at a news conference in Des Moines on Friday before the former president’s Council Bluffs event.Sand said Trump is advocating for the same “extremist” policies that Iowa Republican lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds advocate for. He pointed to Reynolds’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/05/reynolds-announces-special-session-on-abortion-for-july-11/">call for a special session</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, July 11, to pass abortion legislation following the Iowa Supreme Court decision not allowing enforcement of the state’s 2018 six-week abortion ban.“So as Donald Trump comes to Iowa today, it’s important to remember that he bragged about being the one to get Roe overturned,” Sand said. “It’s important to remember that they are paving the way for the legislative bans that Republicans are going to do right here in Iowa.”Trump mentioned abortion briefly and said the Supreme Court decision gives abortion opponents more leverage to negotiate for regulations that are less extreme than what he said Democrats want. He said he supports exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.Of the court decision to eliminate a right to abortion at the federal level: “Good things are going to come about it, and you move it back to the states where all the legal scholars said it should be,” Trump said.This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/07/trump-appeals-to-farmers-in-iowa-campaign-visit/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

Trump appeals to farmers in campaign appearance

For audio file, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXlw7hiRwp_oBVfMoWZ1a-uLZhfcNzeMciee6cW566tHrQIcmi3VlFS_-gTd25YzF5tKvOBSk-yhIlHdEUkate8EObAIVpIkU9w==&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">kswheat.com</a>.

This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Triple-digit temperatures mean it certainly feels like the right weather to harvest wheat, but producers and elevators alike are feeling behind schedule. Wheat harvest has shifted west, moving into areas with more extreme drought conditions and more abandoned acres. The wheat acres that remain are coming in below average, but slightly better than expected, while producers adjust their harvesting to address pressure from late-growing weeds.&nbsp;

At the Nebraska border, Neil Bekemeyer started harvest on Monday, June 26, and expects to finish up in the next few days. In Washington County and up into Nebraska, Bekemeyer had hail&nbsp;on Wednesday night, which did not break the hollow wheat stems, but did have a bit of shatter. Wheat fared better than corn, much of which was blown over in the wind.&nbsp;

Bekemeyer was surprised at the yields he was seeing, especially considering the moderate amount of weeds below the canopy. Outstanding varieties included AgriPro Bigfoot and LCS Valiant - with test weights coming in between 58 and 60 pounds per bushel.

In Riley County, Kansas Wheat Commission board member, Nathan Larson has mixed feelings about this year’s wheat crop. He recalled how difficult it was to get his crop in last fall because there was too much moisture to even get into fields. He still thinks there was moisture in the ground to help the wheat grow, but his stands did not fill out with tillers like he had hoped, and he had more weed pressure.&nbsp;

Larson has been delivering Syngenta Monument crop to the local elevator in Leonardville, where test weights have not been great at an average of 58 pounds per bushel. Overall, his crop is averaging 30 bushels per acre.&nbsp;

“It’s a disappointing year, but when you think about southwest Kansas, it’s not a BAD year,” Larson shared.

Back in central Kansas, Del Adcock of Bartlett Grain in Great Bend reported the area is about 10 days to two weeks behind normal. So far, they’ve taken in about 20 percent of the wheat they expect to receive. Test weights are good, averaging 60 pounds per bushel and above, with higher-than-average protein.&nbsp;

Adcock said yields are averaging in the high 20s to low 30s with a range from the teens to 50 bushels per acre. Weeds are everywhere, due to thin stands and the crop maturing later than normal.&nbsp;

Bartlett Grain has a six-county draw radius and Adcock expects to receive about half the wheat of an average year. Sitting on a short line rail line, the facility will send wheat to their core business in Mexico as well as company-owned flour mills in Coffeyville, Kansas, and North Carolina.&nbsp;

There’s little excitement about this year’s crop, as approximately 40 percent of acres were abandoned and yields on the remaining wheat are much lower than average.&nbsp;

“Everybody’s ready to have harvest done and out of the way,” Adcock said.

In the northern part of Barton County, Dean Stoskopf reported even higher abandonment, estimating up to 90 percent of local acres would not be harvested due to extreme drought conditions. Some of Stoskopf’s fields went a year without an inch (or some even a half inch) of moisture. The majority of the county finally moved out of D4 (exceptional) drought, thanks to rains in the past two weeks, but more rain is needed to keep that status at bay.

“If it doesn't rain, we’ll be right back in exceptional drought,” Stoskopf said.&nbsp;

Stoskopf abandoned 80 percent of planted acres and chose not to spray the remaining 200 acres. As a result, he decided to use only a conventional combine, which handles the ever-growing weeds better than his other rotary head. He noted 100-degree weather also helps chop weeds a little bit easier.&nbsp;

Stoskopf cut his first field on Wednesday with final results coming in just above crop insurance estimates at 23 bushels per acre, acceptable 12 percent moisture, excellent test weight at 60 pounds per bushel and good protein at 12.8 percent. The only surviving variety on his operation is PlainsGold Whistler, which benefitted from last-minute moisture as a late-maturing variety.&nbsp;

“What survived isn’t doing too bad, but there aren’t many acres of it,” Stoskopf said. “There just is not a whole lot of wheat coming in.”&nbsp;

Summertime temperatures will continue to advance the pace of wheat harvest in the coming days ahead of the&nbsp;July 4th&nbsp;holiday and a cold front next week. Stay tuned as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next report scheduled for Jully 5.

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXqa8Th2TjT0zFjw2EIbhzWBZM-QWdsAGzloc7w35GcXgcDGOUGFqzNiJu08HtcvW32hbe5Ro4S9dIZPRtpMLLJPJANGqSQepLu_F2w4xGlvL&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXldZ_vAGD9DaN0flNwKlLnQmr011RetAiQw9M4rr4Bg80CLAVhCNziZ7mCigcGzTVA5tvxn2lylgqVHBs9OljYlm9XHHpPDraL3vfkENGTIi&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXj3bI__Yrvp0bEkaJleuOawgBJkaQvKBIkYWvhojJIMibquNcB_pLPzQQMPJLmwxeCnAONcpqRuwRnKs2l6MzlSiIiKMdRsHULptl6vUc_pg&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688090528981.png" alt="Image Courtesy Kansas Wheat " />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy Kansas Wheat </figcaption>
 </figure> BY Julia DebesKansas Wheat For audio file, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXlw7hiRwp_oBVfMoWZ1a-uLZhfcNzeMciee6cW566tHrQIcmi3VlFS_-gTd25YzF5tKvOBSk-yhIlHdEUkate8EObAIVpIkU9w==&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">kswheat.com</a>.This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.Triple-digit temperatures mean it certainly feels like the right weather to harvest wheat, but producers and elevators alike are feeling behind schedule. Wheat harvest has shifted west, moving into areas with more extreme drought conditions and more abandoned acres. The wheat acres that remain are coming in below average, but slightly better than expected, while producers adjust their harvesting to address pressure from late-growing weeds.&nbsp;At the Nebraska border, Neil Bekemeyer started harvest on Monday, June 26, and expects to finish up in the next few days. In Washington County and up into Nebraska, Bekemeyer had hail&nbsp;on Wednesday night, which did not break the hollow wheat stems, but did have a bit of shatter. Wheat fared better than corn, much of which was blown over in the wind.&nbsp;Bekemeyer was surprised at the yields he was seeing, especially considering the moderate amount of weeds below the canopy. Outstanding varieties included AgriPro Bigfoot and LCS Valiant - with test weights coming in between 58 and 60 pounds per bushel.In Riley County, Kansas Wheat Commission board member, Nathan Larson has mixed feelings about this year’s wheat crop. He recalled how difficult it was to get his crop in last fall because there was too much moisture to even get into fields. He still thinks there was moisture in the ground to help the wheat grow, but his stands did not fill out with tillers like he had hoped, and he had more weed pressure.&nbsp;Larson has been delivering Syngenta Monument crop to the local elevator in Leonardville, where test weights have not been great at an average of 58 pounds per bushel. Overall, his crop is averaging 30 bushels per acre.&nbsp;“It’s a disappointing year, but when you think about southwest Kansas, it’s not a BAD year,” Larson shared.Back in central Kansas, Del Adcock of Bartlett Grain in Great Bend reported the area is about 10 days to two weeks behind normal. So far, they’ve taken in about 20 percent of the wheat they expect to receive. Test weights are good, averaging 60 pounds per bushel and above, with higher-than-average protein.&nbsp;Adcock said yields are averaging in the high 20s to low 30s with a range from the teens to 50 bushels per acre. Weeds are everywhere, due to thin stands and the crop maturing later than normal.&nbsp;Bartlett Grain has a six-county draw radius and Adcock expects to receive about half the wheat of an average year. Sitting on a short line rail line, the facility will send wheat to their core business in Mexico as well as company-owned flour mills in Coffeyville, Kansas, and North Carolina.&nbsp;There’s little excitement about this year’s crop, as approximately 40 percent of acres were abandoned and yields on the remaining wheat are much lower than average.&nbsp;“Everybody’s ready to have harvest done and out of the way,” Adcock said.In the northern part of Barton County, Dean Stoskopf reported even higher abandonment, estimating up to 90 percent of local acres would not be harvested due to extreme drought conditions. Some of Stoskopf’s fields went a year without an inch (or some even a half inch) of moisture. The majority of the county finally moved out of D4 (exceptional) drought, thanks to rains in the past two weeks, but more rain is needed to keep that status at bay.“If it doesn't rain, we’ll be right back in exceptional drought,” Stoskopf said.&nbsp;Stoskopf abandoned 80 percent of planted acres and chose not to spray the remaining 200 acres. As a result, he decided to use only a conventional combine, which handles the ever-growing weeds better than his other rotary head. He noted 100-degree weather also helps chop weeds a little bit easier.&nbsp;Stoskopf cut his first field on Wednesday with final results coming in just above crop insurance estimates at 23 bushels per acre, acceptable 12 percent moisture, excellent test weight at 60 pounds per bushel and good protein at 12.8 percent. The only surviving variety on his operation is PlainsGold Whistler, which benefitted from last-minute moisture as a late-maturing variety.&nbsp;“What survived isn’t doing too bad, but there aren’t many acres of it,” Stoskopf said. “There just is not a whole lot of wheat coming in.”&nbsp;Summertime temperatures will continue to advance the pace of wheat harvest in the coming days ahead of the&nbsp;July 4th&nbsp;holiday and a cold front next week. Stay tuned as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next report scheduled for Jully 5.The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXqa8Th2TjT0zFjw2EIbhzWBZM-QWdsAGzloc7w35GcXgcDGOUGFqzNiJu08HtcvW32hbe5Ro4S9dIZPRtpMLLJPJANGqSQepLu_F2w4xGlvL&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXldZ_vAGD9DaN0flNwKlLnQmr011RetAiQw9M4rr4Bg80CLAVhCNziZ7mCigcGzTVA5tvxn2lylgqVHBs9OljYlm9XHHpPDraL3vfkENGTIi&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0019c2U-Y3J836rJO0qyQMZh64LRPJ87NNRtL0h27A4a_Ns0WmuGd1uXj3bI__Yrvp0bEkaJleuOawgBJkaQvKBIkYWvhojJIMibquNcB_pLPzQQMPJLmwxeCnAONcpqRuwRnKs2l6MzlSiIiKMdRsHULptl6vUc_pg&amp;c=f8s9neCRrHD-dbzoWDZqbxz6cZutlzhBmFOxbrSEl4VaDNuC1Lw8RQ==&amp;ch=OHpZ8fkr_Bey6wKB9LocqoLKxsRe359dPZ_h47Ub8uwRajpKwR9lRw==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos.

Day 7, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

By Maddy RohrK-State Research and Extension

While they may be a more common pest in garbage, raccoons also target the home garden. It seems as though racoons harvest sweet corn right before it is to be picked, so Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham recommends fencing as a prevention method.

“The only effective control measure I have had success with is fencing; either electric or kennel fencing,” Upham said.

To install electric fencing, use two or more wires, the first about five inches above the ground and the second four inches above the first (or nine inches above ground). Raccoons must not be able to crawl under, go between or go over the wires without being shocked.

Fence posts and insulators used for electric fences work well for this application.

“It is much easier to use the woven electric wire with strands of wire embedded than to use a solid metal wire. The woven wire is easier to bend around corners and to roll up when done for the year,” Upham said.

Upham suggests using battery operated fencing rather than plug-ins.

“Start the charger before the corn is close to being ripe. Once raccoons get a taste of the corn, they are more difficult to discourage,” Upham said.

He encourages weed control around the wire to prevent them from intercepting the voltage.

Kennel fencing can also be an alternative protection from raccoons.

“Make sure that the panels are tied together well enough that raccoons can’t squeeze through corners,” Upham said.

A covering over the top may be needed if the raccoons figure out how to climb the panels.

Welded garden fence can work well for this.

Upham and his colleagues in K-State's Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html">Horticulture Newsletter</a>&nbsp;with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688040158326.jpeg" alt="Raccoons love sweet corn just as much as humans do. K-State horticulture expert Ward Upham says installing fencing may be the best way to keep them out of the garden. KSRE Photo" />
 <figcaption>Raccoons love sweet corn just as much as humans do. K-State horticulture expert Ward Upham says installing fencing may be the best way to keep them out of the garden. KSRE Photo</figcaption>
 </figure> By Maddy RohrK-State Research and ExtensionWhile they may be a more common pest in garbage, raccoons also target the home garden. It seems as though racoons harvest sweet corn right before it is to be picked, so Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham recommends fencing as a prevention method.“The only effective control measure I have had success with is fencing; either electric or kennel fencing,” Upham said.Electric Fencing&nbsp;To install electric fencing, use two or more wires, the first about five inches above the ground and the second four inches above the first (or nine inches above ground). Raccoons must not be able to crawl under, go between or go over the wires without being shocked.Fence posts and insulators used for electric fences work well for this application.“It is much easier to use the woven electric wire with strands of wire embedded than to use a solid metal wire. The woven wire is easier to bend around corners and to roll up when done for the year,” Upham said.Upham suggests using battery operated fencing rather than plug-ins.“Start the charger before the corn is close to being ripe. Once raccoons get a taste of the corn, they are more difficult to discourage,” Upham said.He encourages weed control around the wire to prevent them from intercepting the voltage.Kennel FencingKennel fencing can also be an alternative protection from raccoons.“Make sure that the panels are tied together well enough that raccoons can’t squeeze through corners,” Upham said.A covering over the top may be needed if the raccoons figure out how to climb the panels.Welded garden fence can work well for this.Upham and his colleagues in K-State's Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html">Horticulture Newsletter</a>&nbsp;with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.

Tips for how to protect sweet corn from raccoons

By Pat Melgares K-State Research and Extension In rural America, talk about horsetails in a field conjures thoughts of farmhands in saddles, working cattle or checking on emerging crops.

When Kansas State University weed management specialist Sarah Lancaster gets questions about horsetails, however, the inquiry is probably not about four-legged farm animals.

“I like to call horsetails the dinosaurs of the plant world,” Lancaster said. “They’re a weed species that has literally been around since the times of the dinosaurs. That, in and of itself, should tell us why I get questions about it. They’re pretty tough and they’re very difficult to manage.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687611074755.jpeg" alt="Horsetail has been around since the time of the dinosaurs, says K-State weed management specialist Sarah Lancaster. | Photo courtesy of Sarah Lancaster" />
 <figcaption>Horsetail has been around since the time of the dinosaurs, says K-State weed management specialist Sarah Lancaster. | Photo courtesy of Sarah Lancaster</figcaption>
 </figure>By Pat Melgares K-State Research and Extension In rural America, talk about horsetails in a field conjures thoughts of farmhands in saddles, working cattle or checking on emerging crops.When Kansas State University weed management specialist Sarah Lancaster gets questions about horsetails, however, the inquiry is probably not about four-legged farm animals.“I like to call horsetails the dinosaurs of the plant world,” Lancaster said. “They’re a weed species that has literally been around since the times of the dinosaurs. That, in and of itself, should tell us why I get questions about it. They’re pretty tough and they’re very difficult to manage.”Horsetail, also called mare’s tail, is a deep-rooted, invasive weed that spreads quickly, forming a dense carpet of foliage that crowds out more desirable plants, such as pasture grass.“They look a lot like asparagus, actually,” Lancaster said. “They reproduce by spores, not seeds; they’re just a very different sort of plant. Many of the go-to herbicides don’t work on them.”Lancaster said some past research studies indicate that 2,4-D or MCPA – a phenoxy herbicide similar to 2,4-D – can be effective in suppressing horsetail weeds. Newer studies report that picloram and metsulfuron may be helpful in reducing horsetail.“But,” Lancaster said, “they’re going to come back, and so it’s going to take repeated herbicide applications in order to fully control them with chemistry.”Research from Canada is uncovering other potential herbicide options, Lancaster said, “but there are not a lot of great herbicide options out there.”Horsetails belong to the genus known as Equisetum, which means “living fossil.” Plants in that category tend to be found in wet areas, “so if you’re struggling with them in a cropping situation, one thing to think about is water management,” Lancaster said.“Fortunately, we don’t find horsetail in production fields a lot,” she said. “Usually they are found in areas where drainage is poor and water stands for large parts of the year.”For questions or to confirm whether a plant is horsetail or not, Lancaster is available by email,&nbsp;<a href="mailto:slancaster@ksu.edu">slancaster@ksu.edu</a>.Poison Hemlock and GoatgrassLancaster said she also routinely receives questions about poison hemlock and goatgrass this time of year.Poison hemlock is – at its name suggests – highly poisonous. It is highly toxic to sheep, cattle, swine, horses and many other domestic animals, as well as humans. Hemlock “looks a lot like wild carrots,” Lancaster said, including a basal rosette and “lacy-looking leaves.”“Poison hemlock will have red speckles on the stem once it starts to bolt,” Lancaster said. “If it’s in a pasture, you need to take care of it.”Instinctively, she adds, cattle know to avoid poison hemlock based on having been around it: “So generally speaking, we don’t panic too much if we see poison hemlock, but if you’re someone who brings in cattle from another state or desirable forage is not available, it is more important to get rid of it or prevent cattle grazing in those areas.”2,4-D and glyphosate products are effective on poison hemlock, Lancaster said.Goatgrass is an ancestor of the red winter wheat varieties grown in Kansas, which means it’s particularly challenging to control in wheat fields and even in pastures, according to Lancaster.Healthy wheat stands often out-compete jointed goatgrass, but drought through much of Kansas has provided an opportunity for jointed goatgrass to win some of those battles.Lancaster said CoAXium wheat varieties – a production system that capitalizes on herbicide tolerant wheat -- are best for controlling jointed goatgrass.