It’s going to seem like this week’s show is all about keeping cows cool, and it kind of is, but keep in mind this is a serious threat to agriculture in Missouri, and thus, the overall economy in the state.
Crops aren’t the only things wilting in the sweltering summer of 2012; the largest animals on the farm are also under stress. One option is hoop barns, which are getting more common across the Midwest. Rick Fredericksen reports for Harvest Public Media from Iowa, where the versatile structures are becoming commonplace.
Even before this sweltering early summer weather, researchers at the University of Missouri were working to put more information in the hands of livestock producers concerned about the heat. They’ve built a tool that can detect the threat of heat stress in specific animals before it starts. KBIA’s Scott Pham reports for Harvest Public Media.
