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Switchgrass Science
At the University of Tennessee, switchgrass is all the buzz. It's a plant that's farmer & environment-friendly, and a cheap alternative to high-priced corn ethanol.
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Cattle Sell-Off
Some livestock barns around Tennessee are selling three and four times the usual number of cattle, but that’s not necessarily positive for farmers. Many producers have been forced to sell parts of their herd because of drought.
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Drought
Tennessee is having one of its’ driest years ever. The National Drought Mitigation Center reports the entire state is experiencing moderate to severe drought. Experts with UT’s Institute of Agriculture say we’ve missed out on a lot of rain for the first half of 2007, but there’s still time for crops and landscaping to recover.
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Quonset Barn
Most barns are pretty standard in shape - square or rectangular, and usually painted red with a loft to store hay. But now some Tennessee farmers are looking at a more-modern day barn that’s built to last a long time.
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Beef Cattle
Beef cattle farming is Tennessee’s number one agricultural commodity - and herd reproductive health is critical for producers to stay in business. UT’s Institute of Agriculture is working on research to boost cattle pregnancy rates.
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Biofuel
A recent government report says the U.S. could easily produce more than a billion tons of materials to make biofuels each year - and it wouldn’t impact our food supply. Researchers at UT’s Institute of Agriculture are working on ways to produce biomass and alternative fuels.
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Burning Fields
If something is purposefully destroyed, it can make a comeback. In this instance, we’re talking about vegetation for wildlife. UT researchers are conducting experiments where they burn fields – with a belief that what grows again will be even better than before.
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Dairy
Tennessee has lost roughly half its total dairy farms in the last decade. It just doesn’t pay to produce milk for many farmers...
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Switchgrass
High gas prices have many of us wishing for a solution to America’s dependence on foreign oil. Experts with UT’s Institute of Agriculture believe we may be within a few years of a viable fuel alternative.
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