Grants bring money, improvements to local farms
For the past few years the Tennessee Department of Agriculture has offered small cost share grants to farmers to improve there farming operations and to try new enterprises on their farms.
During the last year the different grants offered to farmers by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture have been well received by local farmers. Grants are made to farmers to improve cattle handling facilities, build hay barns, improve genetics in their herds and there’s also an agriculture diversification grant that helps farmers invest in new enterprises on the farm.
In fact, Warren County farmers have for the past two years received more of the diversification grants than any other county. Since the beginning of the grant programs for this year back in July, about180 Warren County farmers about have received over $640,000 in cost share grants. Most of the grants are 35 percent cost share meaning that the farmer spends three dollars to get one back from the state. Local farmers spent almost 2 million dollars in getting the farm improvement grants during the last year. The grants programs will be starting over again in July.
Producers need to make sure they have a premise ID and a BQA certification card before grant season gets here. If you have questions give me a call here at the Extension office.
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SPRUCE UP PASTURES NOW
Monday, Feb. 4, is the date for this month’s beef producers meeting at the office. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m., and we are going to have a Beef Quality Assurance certification meeting. Look at your BQA card and if it expires in the next year now would be a good time to get re-certified.
If you don’t have a BQA card, come to the meeting Monday night at the Extension office at 6 p.m. and we can take care of it. You must have a current BQA card to apply for the state agriculture grants.
Pretty weather like weve had the last few day surely points out the need to do something to these pasture fields. One profitable practice is to add a little clover to the mix of grass and weeds and bare ground that seems to make up the most of some pastures. Nows the time to get ready to sow pastures with clover. Whether you spray, broadcast, drill or scatter it on snow, clover will improve the quality and quantity of spring feed that you have for your cattle. Dont put clover in pastures that need a spray of 2,4-D. Some fields need buttercup and thistle control more than they need clover. There are some new clovers out now that you should take a look at.
Patriot and Durana are two intermediate white clovers that will improve the grazing in your pastures. They won’t produce as much hay as our traditional Ladino type clovers but they will last better for grazing. Having about 30 percent clover in our fescue and orchard grass pastures is a sure way to improve animal performance and reduce fertilizer bills. The clover will fix nitrogen from its nodules so that the neighboring grasses can use it.
Make sure you read the labels of any herbicides that you might use in your pasture. You don’t want to spray 2,4,D after you’ve seeded clover and you don’t want to seed clover after spraying 2,4-D. Many of the pasture herbicides have similar restrictions on their label.