Colorado

How are pasture conditions nationwide? "Good to excellent ratings at 31% of the country; up 3% points from last week," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "Meanwhile, the very poor to poor ratings 42%, that is down 1% from last week's 43%." ...

Earlier this week, a group of 30 Senators urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Payments in Lieu of Taxes, or PILT program, for fiscal year 2023. The program provides payments to counties with non-taxable federal land within their borders to offset the lost property tax revenue ...

The condition of the national winter wheat crop continues to drop. “ 27% good to excellent, 41% very poor to poor," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. "A week ago we were sitting at 29% and 39% respectively.” Rippey noted over the past week, winter wheat conditions improved slightly in Montana and Colorado, but many of the other Plains states saw either steady or declining conditions

Last week, a group of Senate Democrats requested the 2023 budget include funding for Farm Bill conservation programs. Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Chris Coons of Delaware led the effort in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee ...

The U.S. Geological Survey will use the Willamette River Basin to study what factors affect water supply and demand across the country. The department recently named the basin as its 4th Integrated Water Science Basin study, joining the Delaware, Upper Colorado and Illinois River basins ...

The National Lamb Feeders Association is accepting applications for the Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School, which is from June 19th-22nd. The school starts on Sunday, June 19, with a meet-and-greet at the hotel in Greely before the busy week kicks off ...

Colorado senator Michael Bennet wrote a letter to the USDA and the Forest Service asking the agencies to fully fund and implement fire recovery efforts before spring arrives. Snowmelt runoff and seasonal rains could cause further flooding and damage Colorado watersheds ...

What does the La Niña weather pattern have to do with condition ratings for the current winter wheat crop? "La Niña does not particularly bode well for the outcome," said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. "We oftentimes see dry spring weather across the central and southern great plains.  They would ...

According to NASS, wheat plantings increased 3% across the Pacific Northwest this year, while acres planted nationwide increased 2%. Idaho growers planted 760,000 acres of winter wheat for the 2022 crop, up 7% from 2021, and 6% above the 2020 crop ...

When it comes to the latest winter wheat conditions across the country, USDA meteorologist, Brad Rippey said there is reason to pause. "This is probably the most concerning chart of the week, showing 44% of the crop rated as good to excellent, that is down 2% from a week ago," Rippey noted ...