agriculture

Sen. Enzi answers questions on immigration reform

Irina Zhorov — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:57:35 +0000

US Senator from Wyoming, Mike Enzi, addressed his constituents online about their concerns over immigration reform. In a video chat he releases bi-monthly, Enzi says that for Wyoming, guest worker programs are important, because ranchers rely on them for workers like sheep herders. He says that for him, the immigration reform bill that the Senate will soon consider needs to have a true E-verify component -- a program that lets employers check their employees’ eligibility to work in the United States.

Annie’s Project classes support women in ag management roles

Rebecca Martinez — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:10:26 +0000

As the average male farmer or rancher gets older and retires, many women are taking over.

To support women who are taking on the new management roles, the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension is offering a series of classes under the Annie’s Project program.

Organizer Cole Ehmke says the class is meant to answer participants’ questions, and to help them establish connections with presenters and their peers, other women in agriculture.

UW Extension teaches farmers to expand operations with CSAs

Rebecca Martinez — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:37:54 +0000

University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension is working to educate ag producers about how to set up their own Community Supported Agriculture operations, or CSAs.

Mixed feelings in WY about extended federal Farm Bill

Sara Hossaini — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 00:17:56 +0000

The farm bill that has been in place for the last five years will be extended at least another nine months as part of a last minute provision under congress’s fiscal cliff package. Instead of a new five-year bill, certain aspects of the old bill will continue until September, like direct subsidies and the food assistance program, SNAP. The extension also offers assistance, including retroactively to last September, for certain programs many Wyomingites hold dear.

Farmers Markets Contribute Big Money To Wyoming's Economy

Willow Belden — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:49:18 +0000

The Wyoming Business Council found that farmers markets contributed more than a million dollars to Wyoming’s economy last year.

The Business Council’s Cindy Garretson-Weibel says that includes direct sales from the markets, plus additional money people spend in communities when attending farmers markets.

She says farmers markets give producers marketing opportunities, and that meeting consumers face-to-face can be good for business.

The sheep industry is starting to pick up

Rebecca Martinez — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:44:29 +0000

A researcher at the University of Wyoming predicts that the state has a bright future in the sheep industry.

Assistant Professor Brenda Alexander says demand for lamb and wool declined for decades as tastes in the U.S. changed, and sheep numbers dropped with them. But growing ethnic populations and newfound popularity of wool blends have caused an up-tick in the U.S. sheep industry.