There are many things that come together that allow plants to thrive. When it comes to plants native to our area we are not required to go to great extremes to provide the ideal environment. An ideal environment, however, means a great many different things depending on what kind of plant you are.
Congratulations to Spencer County 4-H and FFA members, Sydney Warren and Darilyn Browning, for participating in the 2012 Kentucky State Fair Market Lamb Show.
The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Department of Animal and Food Sciences annually recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the department and to Kentucky animal agriculture. This year, the department awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Tom Hammond and inducted Al Purnell Sr. into its Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to all of the swine exhibitors. In the 4-H/FFA Market Swine Show, Matthew Jeffiers, Emily Hume, Danielle Montgomery, Ashley Montgomery, Ethan McClain, Makayla Hatzman, Dalton Stallings and Dillon Stallings represented Spencer County 4-H and FFA well in the Spot, Duroc, Yorkshire and Crossbred classes.
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director John W. McCauley, announced that guaranteed farm ownership loan funds for Fiscal Year 2012 have been exhausted. Farmers and ranchers in Kentucky received $59,736, 321.00 million in guaranteed loans through Aug. 31, 2012.
“Fiscal Year 2013 begins on October 1, 2012, and we anticipate that guaranteed farm ownership funds will be available in early October,” said McCauley.
Despite the mild winter experienced through much of the nation, insect pest populations have been mostly below average in Kentucky. However, as the summer season continued, weather patterns made it favorable for insects to begin migration, especially in southern states. There have been reports of increasing numbers in the corn earworm, fall armyworm, and yellow-striped armyworm populations in various crops.
Old farm sites that are long vacant often have remnants of a once thriving agricultural model that fed the whole family. Among the farm smorgasbord was the small home orchard; and among the orchard, the Kieffer pear still stands if nothing else does.
The Kieffer pear has been around for a long time and it seems we have forgotten how to treat it as an eating pear. If you have ever happened upon an old tree, you may have been put off by the hard fruit.
Stetson Baird, Brayden Morrow, Darilyn Browning, Rebecca Mobley, Michael Koch, Leah Shelburne, Lilli Hanik, Courtney Jeffiers, Christopher Miles, Apryl Wood, Scott Jeppson, Dalton Stallings, Bradley Thomas, Peter Koch, Hailey Pawley, Dillon Stallings, Sydney Warren, Thomas Koch, and Michelle Thomas participated in the country ham project this year and received the following awards at the Kentucky State Fair. Thank you to Connie Jeffiers for doing an outstanding job as their club leader!