High Plains Journal

Listen Now 0:00 (Feature Impact) There’s just something timeless about a summer cookout with friends, family or neighbors. Whether it’s the sound of burgers sizzling on the grill or the smell of your favorite seasonal sides, the event invokes nostalgia and camaraderie. Do what you can ahead of time Stick to a mix of easy favorites and make-ahead sides to keep prep manageable while offering something for everyone to enjoy.

Listen Now 0:00 Problem: This sounds a little petty to me, but I would like an opinion. I have relatives that invited themselves to stay with my husband and I, but it does not look like they have an end game in sight. They have more or less overstayed their welcome. They are nesting in our home, and I don’t want to be impolite since I said they could stay. I have never had to go through this kind of situation but it’s going on 6 weeks. The question is what do I do?

Columns, Letters to Editor, Opinion For 250 years, America has been built by generations of men and women who worked the land, fed their communities and passed their values from one generation to the next. As the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary in 2026, Antique Tractor Preservation Day offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the machines — and the people — that helped shape America’s agricultural story.

Ag News, America 250, Editors, General, Kylene Scott, Livestock Listen Now 0:00 The very best of America will be showcased June 25 to July 10 at the National Mall in Washington, DC.

America 250, Editors, Kylene Scott Listen Now 0:00 Performers at Rodeo 250 in Washington, DC June 24 to July 10 could vary during performances, but notable participants include: —Shawn Howard, stagecoach performer, is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He’s one of the nation’s premier stagecoach drivers, has built an international reputation for elite horsemanship, multi-horse hitch driving, and authentic Western performance.

Beef, Cow Calf, Machinery, New Products, Seedstock, Tools and Tech Combining rigid-frame engineering with the proven benefits of tension fabric membranes, Legacy Building Solutions, of South Haven, Minnesota, offers fully customizable, high-quality fabric structures. This design concept provides a high level of flexibility for a wide array of building applications and industries, including grain, hay, equipment and livestock storage, along with other agricultural purposes.

Western Kansas wheat farmer Vance Ehmke said a poor crop not only affects growers but also seed dealers and distributors. Ehmke, who also owns Ehmke Seed in Healy, Kansas, feels their pain, and he encourages growers to start early as they plan to sow wheat this fall. Seed supplies will be tight in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Nebraska, he said. “A very poor crop and then lots of hail,” Ehmke said.

Ag News, America 250, Equestrian, Equine, Dairy, Sheep and Goats, General, Livestock Listen Now 0:00 There’s nothing more American than rodeo. Binion Cervi had an idea to put professional rodeo in front of Americans celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States in Washington, DC. Cervi of Cervi Championship Rodeo, based near Greeley, Colorado, pitched his idea to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins at Rodeo Houston, and the rest is “almost” history.

As the nation celebrates America’s 250th anniversary, it is easy to wonder what life was like for the colonists who settled in America, developed towns and cities, rebelled from their home country and took a risk that resulted in the birth of the America we live in today. While the names of Paul Revere, George Washington and Benedict Arnold are familiar to most Americans, the lives of the farmers who made up much of the colonial population are less well known.

As the calendar flips to July, traders will likely shift focus to United States and global weather. Specifically, traders may likely monitor weather in key wheat growing regions of the world. The month of May saw a tremendous price rally for wheat futures. The July 2026 Chicago wheat futures rallied as high as $6.88-1/4 a bushel while the July 2026 Kansas City wheat futures contract rallied as high as $7.50 a bushel during the month of May due to the reality of a poor U.S. crop.