orn planting, soil sampling, crop scouting, burn-down spraying, fertilizing, and, of course, taxes. April is a busy time for farmers. The weather hasn’t been helping them much either as they haven’t had many days when it has been dry enough to get into the fields. Fortunately, the warmer weather and growing crops dries out the ground faster, so they might get a little done between storms.
Since the farmers are in the fields there aren’t any traditional agronomy programs. Still, there has been more than enough to keep busy. Some of the other programs we’ve had this month were the Bermuda Basis put on by Southwind District, Wendie’s Animal Health Day, and Jeri’s Youth Wildlife Program meetings. Soil samples are coming in full speed, first for corn and now for alfalfa and soybeans. There have been a few agents trainings as well.
Coming up we have some fun programs though. The Mushroom Growing Workshops on April 29th in Independence and April 30 in Girard promise to be fun and interactive workshops where attendees will learn how to grow oyster and shitake mushrooms. On May 16th we will have a Farm Pond Management program in Hepler. For this program we are going to learn about stocking fish and how to control aquatic weeds. The plans are still tentative, but it looks like we will have the Southeast Research and Extension Center Field Day on June 5 so make sure to mark that day off on your calendar. On the cattle side of things, the Southeast Research and Extension Center will be having their Beef Cattle Field Day on May 2, starting at 8:30 a.m.
There is always stuff to do and things to learn with the Wildcat District so I hope you will join us this spring. Whether you have crops, cattle, love to garden, or just want to learn a new hobby like growing mushrooms, we are here to help.
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SEEDLING DAMAGE
STRIPE RUST
RUST UPDATE
NEMATODES