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Farming

  • USDA expands safety-net for dairy operations

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announces that dairy farms participating in the Margin Protection Program (MPP) can now update their production history when an eligible family member joins the operation. The voluntary program protects participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below levels of protection selected by the applicant.

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  • Environmental stewardship, on-farm improvement incentives among agricultural investments approved

    The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approves $255,208 for agricultural diversification and rural development programs across the Commonwealth during its April board meeting.
    Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program
    The Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program serves as a measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky producers. Two Deceased Farm Animal Removal Programs totaling ($15,000) were approved by the board for Harrison ($7,500) and Henry ($7,500) counties.

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  • Moore is new junior member of the American Angus Association

    Courtney Moore, Berry, is a new junior member of the American Angus Association®, reports Allen Moczygemba, CEO of the national organization with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo.
    Junior members of the Association are eligible to register cattle in the American Angus Association, participate in programs conducted by the National Junior Angus Association and take part in Association-sponsored shows and other national and regional events.

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  • Potato planting time

    Spring break from teaching at U of L falls conveniently during the week of St. Patrick’s Day; which is also my target date for planting onions and potatoes.  I typically manage a mid-March planting but the condition of the soil is my primary concern.  I will not start digging until the soil dries out and is considered workable.

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  • Licking River documentary to be shown at HCHS auditorium

    The Harrison County Conservation District is hosting a free showing of the 30-minute documentary “The Licking River: Journey Down that ‘Old Salt’ Past, Present, and Future,” on March 24 at the Harrison County High School auditorium from 6 to 7 p.m.

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  • KDA seeks applications for specialty crop projects

    Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced that farmers and other eligible applicants in Kentucky may seek funding from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for producing and marketing “specialty crops.”
    Specialty crops are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops.

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  • Conservation Program restores wildlife, helps farmers care for land, air, water

    By Val Dolcini, Farm Service Agency Administrator
    The modern environmental conservation movement is one that has brought awareness and conservation practices to many urban audiences. To some, it probably seems like a recent shift in American thinking.

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  • On National FFA Week, join in reflecting on the importance of FFA in Kentucky

    By Ryan Quarles, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commonwealth
    of Kentucky
    This is National FFA Week, so I wanted to let Kentuckians know how important FFA is to me.
    Growing up on a farm in central Kentucky, where my family has lived and farmed for more than 200 years, I proudly wore the blue corduroy jacket as an active member of Scott County High School’s FFA chapter.

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  • USDA sees strong demand for Conservation Reserve Program

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding farmers and ranchers that the competitive sign-up deadline for its most popular voluntary conservation program, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), is Feb. 26, 2016. This will be one of the most competitive general sign-up periods in history, in part due a statutory limit on the number of acres that can be enrolled in the program. The most competitive applications will be those that combine multiple conservation benefits, such as water quality and wildlife habitat.

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  • Fat is not always a bad word

    By Jessica Barnes, County extension agent for agriculture & natural resources
     
    Is fat a bad word? Not necessarily. Simply put, fat is just the body’s storage form for energy. If an animal consumes more energy than it uses, their body will store the excess calories as fat - like money in the bank they can use in an energy shortage (think cows calving in late winter). Fat imparts flavor to food (like a T-bone steak) but it also adds calories. So managing fat can be a delicate issue in the cattle business.

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