Features

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared every Kentucky county a natural disaster area due to drought conditions and wind damage. In September, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer in support of Kentucky’s request for disaster designation.

Last year, Kentucky producers experienced significant losses from drought conditions and freezing temperatures. While spring rains brought some relief, farms across Kentucky again are suffering from a lack of rainfall coupled with wind damage from the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared every Kentucky county a natural disaster area due to drought conditions and wind damage. In September, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer in support of Kentucky’s request for disaster designation.

Last year, Kentucky producers experienced significant losses from drought conditions and freezing temperatures. While spring rains brought some relief, farms across Kentucky again are suffering from a lack of rainfall coupled with wind damage from the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

Three finalists have been selected for this year’s Kentucky Farm Bureau Outstanding Young Farm Family competition. The annual contest is open to farmers age 35 and younger.

The finalists are Jeremy and Joanna Hinton, Hodgenville; Bart and Sarah Jones, Scottsville; and Marcus “Shane” and Stephanie Wiseman, Winchester. The winner and two runners-up will be announced at the Kentucky Farm Bureau annual meeting next week in Louisville.

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, many of us already are beginning to plan our holiday meals. As we begin meal preparations, we should not forget the hard work and long hours Kentucky farmers put in every day to ensure we have food on our tables.

During this season, you can show your gratitude to farmers in your community by preparing your Thanksgiving meal from locally grown products.

Goat producers meet

  LaRue County Goat Producers meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at the LaRue County Extension Service office in Hodgenville. The speaker will be Tess Caudill, Kentucky Department of Agriculture sheep and goat marketing specialist. Her topic will be market update for sheep and goats. A gyro platter meal will be served. All interested individuals are invited to attend.

Open House planned

  Lee’s Garden Center plans a Christmas open house for Nov. 28-29. For more information call (270) 358-9897 or e-mail slee107308@aol.com.

Nov. 14 is the deadline for 4-H members to submit applications for the honors program and selection as delegates to 2009 National 4-H Congress.

These activities recognize exemplary participation in the 4-H Youth Development Program.  

Twenty-one current and two former Freeman FFA members attended the 81st National FFA convention in Indianapolis Oct. 21-25.

The following members attended the convention:  Justin Carter, Craig Dunn, Jesse Engle, Todd Enlow, Emily Farrar, Cody Howell, Julia Johnson, Megan Larrison, Michael Lawless, Jud Lee, Michelle Locklin, Johnathon Maynard, Eli Meredith, Charla Piper, Renea Sheroan, Trevor Skaggs, Abby Sullivan, B.J. Sullivan, Cody Sullivan, Shelby Sullivan and Lannah Wheeler.

The LaRue County Beef Cattle Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the LaRue County Extension Service office, 807 Old Elizabethtown Road, Hodgenville.

A program related to beef production will be presented and a meal will be served. All interested producers are invited to attend.

For more information, contact the Extension Service, 358-3401.

Even though the majority of the state is in the midst of a drought, hay supplies are up from last year. However, some livestock producers still will need to find an additional hay source to get through the winter, said Tom Keene, hay marketing specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

“Overall, we are in decent to fair shape on cattle hay going into the winter,” he said. “Producers who use high quality hay to feed dairy cattle and horses will likely need to import additional quantities this year to have a sufficient supply.”