Agriculture

After I finish writing this column, I need to go pick figs. Every other day seems to be right on in order to harvest ripe fruit. It takes some finesse because it is the soft texture of the fruit that reveals ripeness, not necessarily the color. And picking only ripe fruit is the goal: figs do not improve if picked under ripe so if it feels firm leave it on the shrub.

I was among friends last week, discussing the virtues of okra. Some preferred to categorize the “slime” as a “thickening agent” while others insisted you needed to be a woodpecker to eat one.
The little ones are best, of course, but often they get too big to be edible. While okra is indeed a great thickening agent in gumbo and other quintessential southern dishes, there is another plant lurking in the garden that can do the same — and you can usually just find it growing along a path or in the flower garden.

Recruitment for Kentucky Farm Bureau’s next group of participants in the two-year, Leadership Enhancement for Agricultural Development (LEAD) program is now underway. Up to 15 individuals will be selected for this intensive learning experience as a way to equip the next generation of agricultural leaders with the tools to manage tomorrow’s challenges.