Hay, hay and more hay; a common sight in East Texas this year, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)

Fannin County Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director, Jeff Peterson announced today that the nomination period for the local FSA County Committee (COC) began last month. This election will be held for Local Administrative Area (LAA) #2, which includes the Southeast section of Bonham as well as all land area from Bonham to, and around Ladonia and Pleasant Grove, and back North as far as the communities of Selfs, Pettigrew, and Hilger and all area in between. The current COC representative from that area, John Mahler will have served out his term limit the end of December and cannot re-run without a break in service. We welcome all nominees.

"National Farmers Market Week is a great opportunity for farmers markets across the country to host special events to showcase all the tremendous services they provide," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Farmers markets play a key role in developing local and regional food systems that support family farms, and help grow rural economies. They bring communities together, connecting cities with the farms that support them and provide Americans across the country with fresh, healthy food."

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.1 million head on July 1, 2014. The inventory was 2 percent below July 1, 2013.

Please contact the Extension Office to RSVP for the training at 903-583-7453 or email cody.maxwell@ag.tamu.edu. Due to availability of training materials, we will be limiting this course to 15 people.

Results of sale Thursday, July 24, 2014 --1193 head sold.

Yellow blossoms reveal a field of winter canola when the crop is maturing in the spring. From these flowers grow pods with tiny, round brown seed with at least a 41 percent oil content. Canola seed is processed for its healthy cooking oil, biofuels and livestock feed.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of July 1, 2014, totaled 95.0 million head, 3 percent below the 97.8 million on July 1, 2012. This is the lowest all cattle and calves inventory for July 1 since the series began in 1973.

While tax laws may have made it easier to pass the farm from one generation to the next, changing times have some families looking at the end of a way of life, according to a 30-year veteran of agricultural estate planning.

Dr. Jim Ansley, Texas A&M AgriLife Research rangeland ecologist at Vernon, talks about how Sendero knocks back the mesquite and allows growth of the secondary shrub species for wildlife, such as the lotebush behind him. (Texas A&M AgriLIfe Research photo by Kay Ledbetter)

The 2014 Texas calf crop is projected to be about 3.8 million, down somewhat from 2013, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan Garcia reminds farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers that Aug. 1, 2014, is the deadline for local FSA county committee nominations.