Ants have survived for so long because they have evolved a system that allows for the division of labor. The next-largest ants forage for leaves and bring them back for the smaller ants to slice into pieces. The largest ants stand guard as soldiers and protect the nest. They feed the mush to a fungus, which is tended and feasted on. A colony of leafcutter ants operates like an assembly line. They're the ultimate team players. No ant species has members who live solitary lives. The queen is...

Beekeepers say their industrious workers have been vanishing mysteriously from their hives since last fall -- leaving behind well-stocked food stores, their developing offspring and a forlorn queen and her attendants. Bees are also vital to forage crops - the alfalfa, clover and other pasture grasses that grazing animals require. Pollination fees are already increasing sharply because of rising demand, and significant bee losses could reduce crop yields and increase food prices. Bigger...

SLO County s dry land isn t producing the grasses ranchers need to feed their herds, so they re getting rid of them early and losing money in the process. Cattle and calves are the second most valuable agricultural product in the county, valued at more than $59 million last year. Cows and their calves are being sold nearly two months earlier than usual and at lower weights because ranchers say they d rather sell than pay for expensive feed. San Luis Obispo County cattle ranchers are...

At the heart of the problem, according to food safety experts, is a longtime practice among some overseas food product companies. A month after tainted pet food sickened thousands of animals, officials say a nation of panicked pet owners can breathe easier. Otis, like so many other pets around the country this spring, had eaten food laced with a chemical slipped into ingredients overseas. When the first list of recalled food included his favorite brand, the couple switched Otis to a...

But once hay gets past June 5, it is often blooming, and the resulting drop in quality means growers are harvesting feeder-quality hay, but more of it. Last year, a lack of moisture led to a short crop and forced livestock producers to import hay from southern Idaho and Oregon. With temperatures fluctuating widely and moisture short in southern Idaho, trying to forecast hay production right now is a bit difficult. Thaemert said warm temperatures early in the spring pushed the crop to break...

However, the judge allowed that forage fields in place can be harvested, and the hay can be sold and fed to livestock. The Center for Food Safety represented itself and the following co-plaintiffs in the suit: Western Organization of Resource Councils, National Family Farm Coalition, Sierra Club, Beyond Pesticides, Cornucopia Institute, Dakota Resource Council, Trask Family Seeds and Geertson Seed Farms. The Center for Food Safety represented itself and the following co-plaintiffs in the...

In the 10 or 12 days since the little bugs - about the size of the exposed lead at the end of a pencil - hatched, they've irritated farmers like Winkelmann and driven golfers and gardeners indoors in scattered spots between Springfield and the Mississippi River. In the 10 or 12 days since the little bugs - about the size of the exposed lead at the end of a pencil - hatched, they've irritated farmers like Winkelmann and driven golfers and gardeners indoors in scattered spots between...

Cool-season grasses and forages are doing well and hay production has increased, but many regions of the state still report a hay shortage. While some damage from recent hail, tornados and flooding was reported, crops and livestock grazing generally got a welcome boost from these rains and from warmer weather. Both wheat hay and alfalfa hay are being cut and baled, some earlier than normal. Livestock are in good condition and have more forage and water than they have had in two years....

One of the better options is to feed hay a bit longer this spring before turning cows out to permanent pasture. Leftover hay also can be used later during the grazing season to give pastures more time to recover between grazings. But if the rains don't come, planning and acting now to reduce potential forage losses from drought will pay big dividends. So reserve some ground now for these drought-insurance grasses, before you plant everything to corn, beans, and other crops. Summer annual...