Farming

Nominations for Farm Service Agency county committees opened on Wednesday, June 15, according to Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.
“The county committees provide a vital link between the local farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Farmer said. “They help deliver FSA programs at the local level. I encourage all Kentucky producers to take part in this election.”

Before you squish consider the next generation of beneficial insects that you may be eliminating from your garden.  
We have come to look at all insects as bad, which is far from the truth. We delight over butterflies, but likely kill many while in the caterpillar stage; we love lady beetles, but the nymph stage looks a little scary; and we swat and spray every fly, wasp and bee in ear-shot.
One of the challenges we face when it comes to beneficial insects is that we have a hard time distinguishing between the good guys and the true pests.  

I can’t believe this heat already. I was hopeful that this summer was not going to be a repeat of last, but it looks like we are on track for some serious heat this summer.  
Some vegetables will surely respond to temperatures in the 90’s … some will be good and some will be bad. I know we can’t change the ambient air temperature on a 90 degree day, but we can provide some shade for our plants on the hottest days of the summer with reasonable results.

Powdery mildew is probably the most common garden fungus around. It is not too terribly picky about where it spreads, it likes humid weather, thrives in the heat of the summer and is hard to control once it has started.  
The trick is to prevent it from happening by proper plant selection, spacing, pruning and treatment before it spreads.
Powdery mildew is caused by several different fungi, I won’t bore you with their names because they all act the same way.  
The spores of the fungus are carried by the wind and by splashing water.