We start to dive into the topic of In Vitro Fertilization.  Plus we have the latest news and markets, and share how you can get your hands on more Ranch It Up Gear by playing What’s Your Beef trivia on this all new episode of the Ranch It Up Radio Show.  Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel. EPISODE 196 DETAILS Why In Vitro Fertilization From Trans Ova Genetics What Is In Vitro Fertilization In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process of creating embryos from oocytes (unfertilized egg cells) by fertilizing them with semen in a Petri dish. Oocytes are first collected from the ovaries of donors by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. They are then matured in a Petri dish and fertilized 20-24 hours later. Conventional, sexed frozen, or reverse-sorted semen may be used for fertilization. Oocytes then develop in an incubator for seven days, at which point the resulting viable embryos are transferred into recipients. Latest Cattle Industry News Colorado has largest H5N1 outbreak in US history Colorado health officials have confirmed 10 human cases of avian flu, marking the largest outbreak of human bird flu infections in U.S. history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 11 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in humans since 2022, with 10 occurring this year. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment  announced that two poultry farms in Weld County have birds infected with H5N1, with three confirmed cases at one farm and six at another. Another human case was detected in a dairy farm worker in the state. The state’s health agency said the count is up to 47 infected herds in the state. State and federal officials said the concern for the virus is still low due to the lack of person-to-person transmission.  However, the latest scientific article on H5N1 avian influenza finds that the virus, which has forced the culling of tens of millions of birds on poultry farms since January 2022, can spread with relative ease among dairy cows, domestic cats and even a raccoon. So far, no mutations have been found in the strain’s genome that would allow the virus to spread more easily in humans, despite the clear transmissions between mammals. Since April 2022, public health authorities have confirmed 11 human cases from cattle and poultry farms, seven of which occurred among workers involved in a cull this summer in response to a poultry outbreak in Colorado. Those human cases showed the same virus circulating in dairy herds, which suggests that the poultry outbreak in that area was transmitted back to birds via local cows. Ag land market could be showing signs of settling According to Farmers National Company, the agricultural land market has been “nothing short of exceptional during the past five years.” Gains in value are common across all classes of land in every region of the country. Strong commodity markets, moderate interest rates, buyer demand and an overall healthy agricultural economy have also supported the growth of land values during this time. Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company says a lot has changed in the past 12 months and even more has changed within the past five years.  He said moving into the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024, we’ve experienced significant increases in interest rates, declining grain markets, and inflation. Despite these negative pressures, the land market has remained relatively resilient but shows signs of settling in general, including single-digit decreases in specific areas.” One aspect of the agricultural land market is the long-term appreciation of land value. Over the past 25 years, land values have experienced a stair-stepping trend following the ups and downs of the agricultural economy. As grain markets and farm profitability rose, the land markets followed while leveling off as markets