October 12 is National Farmer’s Day

Oct 12, 2016

Social media buzzing with gratitude

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

October 12 is recognized as National Farmer’s Day, and people are taking time to thank farmers for their hard work in producing the food enjoyed around the world.

According to the 2011 Canadian Census of Agriculture:

There were 205,730 farms in Canada.
Most farm operators worked more than 40 hours per week.
Gross farm receipts accounted for C$51.1 billion in 2010.
With 19.4 million acres, canola replaced spring wheat as Canada’s number one field crop.
Between 2006 and 2011, the average size of a Canadian farm grew from 728 to 778 acres.

According to the 2012 American Census of Agriculture:

There were 2,109,303 farms in the United States.
The average size of a farm was 434 acres.
There was 914,527,657 acres of farmland.
Farms averaged US$187,097 in total sales.
The average market value of all machinery and equipment on farms was US$115,706.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.