Features

This will be a very interesting year for corn growers in the county. While everyone is talking about the price of corn, farmers are confronted with high costs of fuel, fertilizer, land rent, seed, labor and other input costs. Efficiency is still a key to profitable corn production. A simple corn production calendar follows.

Most farmers don’t think much about thistles until they see the plants begin to send up a stalk and then a seed head in late spring. However, now is a good time to inspect pastures for the rosette stage of the plant and take action if needed.

Thistles are one of the most troublesome weed problems in pastures and hayfields. Thistle plants can interfere with grazing, limit forage availability, and become a major problem for hay production.

When Gordon and Jonel Priddy’s daughter Sara left the Arabian Western Pleasure competition to attend college, her parents were left with an important decision.

“We could either continue as grooms, as we were for Sara, and hire someone else to ride,” said her father, “or we could groom and ride.” They decided on the latter choice.

The 4-H Talent Show will be 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, at the LaRue County High School auditorium. Pre-registration was due by March 23. To pre-register, call the Extension Service office at 358-3401 or stop by to pick up a registration form. 

The talent show is open to all LaRue County youth ages 9 to 18. A variety of categories are offered including vocal, instrumental, physical skills and theatrical. A group act category is also offered for acts with five or more participants. Other acts may have from one to four participants.

Last week’s ice storm was one for the ages, and one we will be seeing the effects of for years. This includes the damage to many landscape and woodland trees. I would like to share with you some information from Bill Fountain, Extension professor in arboriculture about the situation.

It won’t be long before tobacco growers will prepare greenhouses and outdoor float beds and start producing tobacco transplants. Higher production costs associated with increased prices of fuel and other inputs are among the problems faced by tobacco producers.

Losses to disease in the float system could take an additional toll on a growers’ bottom line. Planning and preparation now can lead to better disease control and better yields of transplants in the spring.

Class of ‘89 planning

The LaRue County High School Class of 1989 will hold a reunion planning meeting 4:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Ginza Japanese Restaurant in Elizabethtown. Call Karen Hawkins Barnes at 324-4262 or Laura Kasparie at 769-6392 if you plan to attend.

Renovating pastures and hay fields to renew grass productivity is one of the most important things LaRue County farmers can do to improve the grassland grazing and hay land in the county. Pastures in LaRue County feed the county’s 28,000 head of cattle and calves in addition to the other ruminant livestock and horses. Believe or not, pasture renovation time will soon be here.

NAP application closing dates

The deadlines to file an application for natural disaster protection under the Noninsured Assistance Program are March 2 and March 16.