Last chance to sign up for Master Gardener program
This Friday is the last opportunity to sign up for the UT Master Gardener Class to be held on Thursday nights starting on Jan. 17 this winter in McMinnville.
The Master Gardener program is a comprehensive home gardening class taught in 12 sessions. The classes are taught by area Extension agents and other landscape professionals. Subject matter includes ornamentals, soils, insects, annual flower and perennials, vegetables, plant disease, small fruits and tree fruits, composting, landscape design, composting and other topics of interest.
Participants in the class receive their own personal copy of the ‘Tennessee Master Gardener Handbook.’ They also are offered the opportunity to join the Warren County Master Gardeners Association. This groups offers many educational and volunteer opportunities to its members.
The cost of the Master Gardener Course is $70, which includes your handbook, refreshments and other study materials. If you need more information give me a call here at the Extension office (473-8484) or at home (668-3197). Hope to see you in class.
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Census Gives Farmers a Voice in Their Future
America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to make their voices heard and help shape the future of agriculture for years to come. That opportunity will come to their mailboxes in the form of the 2007 Census of Agriculture.
Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Census is a complete count of the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. It provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation.
‘The Census of Agriculture provides information that is not available anywhere else ‘ information that benefits agricultural producers and their communities in a myriad of ways,’ said Debra Kenerson, Director of the Tennessee Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
‘For instance, policy-makers factor Census data into decisions concerning agricultural and rural programs. Community planners use Census data to target needed services to rural residents. Companies rely on Census data when determining where to locate their operations and farmers themselves can use Census data to help make critical decisions about their businesses.’
NASS mailed out Census forms on Dec. 28, 2007, to collect data for the 2007 calendar year. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4, 2008. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the convenient option of filling out the Census online via a secure web site.
‘We’re committed to making this Census the best count ever. It’s about the future of agriculture and rural communities in our state,’ Kenerson said. ‘Regardless of how large or small their operation is or what kinds of products they produce, Tennessee farmers will help themselves and their communities by filling out the Census of Agriculture and returning it promptly.
‘We want farmers to know: the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future and their responsibility.’
For more information about the 2007 Census of Agriculture, please contact the NASS Tennessee Field Office at (800) 626-0987 or visit www.agcensus.usda.gov online.
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UT BULL TEST STATION
The Senior Bull Test Station Sale is scheduled to be held on Thursday, Jan. 17 at noon at the Spring Hill Station. Approximately 70 bulls have been cataloged for this sale.
The bulls are 13-15 months of age and have all passed a breeding soundness examination. These bulls are from well known Angus breeders across TN and have all completed the feed gain test. You can look at their performance data and pedigrees and EPDs at the following website: http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/beef/pdf/Bull%20Test/SrBullSaleCatalog2007-8.pdf
I’ve got a few catalogs here at the office and there’s a video tape of the bulls you can look at out at the CO-OP. Give me a call for more information.
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MAKE CROP VARIETY SELECTIONS WITH CARE
This is the time of year many farmers are making plans for another crop year. The crop variety selection questions shouldn’t answered just by the price of the seed. Match variety performance information with your knowledge of field history, crop fertilization and plant populations.
There’s a tremendous number of corn and soybean varieties available today. They vary in many ways, yield, herbicide resistance, disease resistance, insects, resistance, maturity dates, etc.
When selecting varieties for you crop consider the research conducted annually by the UT Experiment stations. This data show how many different varieties performed under TN conditions. I’ve got summaries of the research trials for corn and soybeans for the past crop year available here at the Extension office. They are also available on the internet.
The third annual Middle TN Grain Conference will be held on Jan. 31 in Manchester. Various speakers will cover crop varieties, the grain markets and other topics at the conference. Give me a call for more information.