All Entries in the "Agriculture" Category
What the Hail is Going On this Year?
The 2018 severe weather season over southeast Colorado started slow this year. With dry southwest mid-level flow over the region, the area experienced below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures through most of the spring (April, May and into June). With the warm and dry weather over the region, thunderstorm coverage was less than normal, […]
Scrap and Debris, Illegal Dumping, Salvage Yards…Commissioners Seeking Solutions
The Prowers County Commissioners met on August 14th with County Attorney Darla Scranton Specht, members of the County Planning Commission and Michelle Hiigel, County Land Use Administrator on what steps may be taken to enforce operating regulations pertaining to county-based salvage yards and auto body shops. The main goal is to keep them within […]
National 811 Day: Atmos Energy Says ‘Safe Digging’ is Key to Safe Gas Systems
Accidental Damage by Third Parties is Most Common Cause of Natural Gas Leaks LAMAR, Colo. (August 6, 2018) – Atmos Energy is reminding construction crews across Colorado to please call 811 before you dig. The natural gas utility says it’s seen a spike in hit gas lines over the last six weeks throughout […]
USDA CROP PRODUCTION – AUGUST 2018
COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS Based on August 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 178.22 million bushels, according to the August 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is down 4 percent from last year’s 185.90 million bushels. The 1.34 million […]
NWS Report: Monsoonal Rains Offer Some Relief to Drought Stricken Southeast Colorado
SYNOPSIS: Weather systems over the past few months have brought some precipitation across the State of Colorado, with the Southwest Monsoon kicking in throughout the month of July, bringing more widespread and much needed moisture to much of Southeastern Colorado. Further west, the summer monsoonal rains have been more spotty and generally not enough […]
Popularity of Dutch Oven Cooking Continues at Fair
Back for their second year, five teams of volunteer Dutch Oven cookers prepared a ground beef dinner for free sampling this past Thursday, August 9th at Elmer’s Garden at the Prowers County Fairgrounds. Organizer Chad Hart said the rules remained the same as last year. All the teams are given their ingredients […]
USDA Honey Bee Status 2018 YTD
January 1 Honey Bee Colonies Down Slightly for Operations with Five or More Colonies Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2018 totaled 2.63 million colonies, down slightly from January 1, 2017. The number of colonies in the United States on April 1, 2018 was […]
USDA Lists Land Values and Cash Rents in Nation – Southwest
ARIZONA The 2018 Arizona average farmland real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, was $4,200 per acre. This is an increase of 2.4 percent from 2017 and 10.5 percent from 2016. The average value of cropland and irrigated cropland was $8,450, up 0.6 percent from 2017. Pasture […]
National Survey of Cost of Farming Expenditures 2017
FARM PRODUCTION EXPENDITURES-2017 – UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS Farm production expenditures in the United States are estimated at $359.8 billion for 2017, up from $346.9 billion in 2016. The 2017 total farm production expenditures are up 3.7 percent compared with 2016 total farm production expenditures. For the 17 line items, 13 showed an increase from previous […]
Developments Around Town
They are not always recognizable at first, but plans for community development are taking shape at different stages through the Lamar community. Additional work is underway at the 9/11 First Responders Memorial on the southern end of the Big Timbers Museum property. Begun last year and financed through private donations and grants, the memorial […]
USDA to Survey County Small Grains Acreage
LAKEWOOD, COLORADO –The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey producers in 32 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, for its County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS). The survey will collect information on total acres planted and harvested, and total yield and production of small grains crops down to the county […]
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT – NWS, Pueblo
SYNOPSIS… Weather systems throughout the month of June have brought some precipitation across the State of Colorado. However, the bulk of the precipitation has been focused across northern and extreme eastern portions of the state, with the precipitation received across South Central and Southeast Colorado more spotty, and not enough to overcome the extremely […]
USDA LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTER – JUNE 2018
UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.33 billion pounds in June, down 1 percent from the 4.35 billion pounds produced in June 2017. Beef production, at 2.30 billion pounds, was 1 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.88 million head, up 1 percent from June […]
LAWMA Approves Model Water Sharing Agreement
First permanent water sharing agreement with augmentation association in Colorado Lamar, Colo—The Lower Arkansas Water Management Association (LAWMA) Board has announced it will participate in a permanent water sharing agreement with Colorado Springs Utilities. LAWMA and Colorado Spring Utilities have discussed ways to continue their long-term arrangement of water sharing. The agreement would allow Colorado […]
USDA CROP PRODUCTION – JULY 2018
COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS Winter wheat production in Colorado, based on conditions as of July 1, 2018, is forecast at 75.85 million bushels, according to the July 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is 13 percent below the 86.86 million bushel crop produced […]








