Farming

One of the most anticipated rites of spring is dusting off the tiller and heading out to the vegetable garden for a little soil play.
It is one of those things you can’t plan for, though. It becomes a waiting game because we can’t do it if the soil is too wet; we don’t want to do it if it is too cold and we only have the time to do it when the weekend rolls around.
Well, what would you say if I told you that you were off the hook when it comes to spring tilling?  

The Harrison County Farmers Market has scheduled the opening date for April 21. In a mailer last week, I had mentioned the date of April 28 as the starting date. This was an incorrect start date and I wanted to correct this for the general public.
On Saturday, April 21, the group hopes to have some cole crops, onions, lettuce and some plants for sale. We will also have some locally made crafts which will be offered.
Again, the market will have producers from Harrison, Roberson, Bourbon, Nicholas and Pendleton counties.

The USDA Farm Service Agency announces that the sign-up deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been extended to April 13.
After the CRP general sign-up ends on April 13, FSA will evaluate offers based on cost and the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) takes into consideration variables such as wildlife habitat, water quality protection, soil erosion reduction, air quality protection and other enduring benefits. Accepted offers will become effective Oct. 1, 2012.

Did you know that azaleas and rhododendrons are essentially the same thing? They are both members of the rhododendron genus; they have similar blooms and similar cultural requirements.  
Some say the primary difference between the two is the number of pollen-bearing stamens:  rhods have 10 or more per flower and azaleas have only five.  
The rhododendron genus is divided into five main groups:  Large-leaf rhods; small-leaf rhods; Vireya rhods; deciduous azaleas; and evergreen azaleas. The latter two are our primary concern here.