State grants subject of next week’s Cattlemen’s meeting
Next Monday night we will have a meeting to discuss the grant program that will be offered to farmers during the coming year by the state department of Agriculture. This is the third year that the state has made these grants available and they have proven to be very popular with beef producers who are interested in upgrading cattle handling facilities and genetics in their herds.
Monday night I hope to have applications available for the grants as well as information on what is eligible for cost share through the grant program.
The application date for the hay barn cost share grants is July 2. A plan for the barn must be submitted along with the grant application. There is 3.5 million requested for this program this year and that will build a thousand barns across Tennessee. The state will cost share on a hay barn by paying a maximum of $3500.
Applications for the state cattle grant programs will be accepted starting on Aug. 1. These grants will pay 35 percent of your cost for the purchase of cattle handling equipment and other equipment. You can get up to $1,000 for this grant. The grant funds must be spent and turned in by Dec. 1.
The cattle genetics grants will pay for AI work in your herd or pay part of the cost of purchasing a new bull. The maximum amount of money that you can receive for this grant is $850.00. Producers have until next
For just over fifty graduates of the Master Beef program here in Warren county the cost share for the cattle grant program is 50 percent and the maximum amounts of cost share is $1,250 for the cattle equipment grants and $1,000 for the genetics grant. That’s a pretty good reason to take the Master Beef Class next winter.
We will also discuss the Ag Growth-Producer Diversification grant program. Applications will be available in June. Monday, July 2, is when they will begin accepting applications. This program is not first come first serve. Applications will continue to be accepted until Aug. 31. They will be judged competitively and cost share approvals will be awarded beginning Oct. 1. This will be 35 percent reimbursement up to $10,000. These funds can be used to finance diversification programs on your farm. The funds can be used for marketing, equipment, etc. Anything related to vegetable, nursery or fruit production as well as specialty livestock, bees, goats, etc. Warren county lead the state in the specialty grants last year. Many nurseries and several folks got equipment for irrigation, sprayers, trellising material and other equipment.
Come out next Monday and we’ll talk about all the grant programs. If the applications are available we’ll pass them out and discuss all the programs. Remember you can’t spend the money before you’re approved and you won’t be approved if you don’t apply.
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Striped cucumber beetle
Striped cucumber beetles over winter as adults and feed on the cucurbit transplants or seedlings in the spring. They can do extensive feeding damage to young plants but the primary concern is bacterial wilt. Since they can transmit bacterial wilt to cucurbits (muskmelons and cucumbers are most susceptible), use an insecticide to prevent bacterial wilt when cucumber beetles exceed 0.1 to 1 per plant. Admire can be used at planting as a preventative insecticide. Otherwise, use a recommended foliar applied insecticide. Organic growers can use a floating row cover until bloom to exclude the cucumber beetles.