and understand the label and labeling information; 3) know how to follow label instructions and warnings, be able to prepare proper concentrations and calibrate application equipment; 4) recognize local environmental situations that must be considered during application to avoid contamination; 5) be able to recognize poisoning symptoms and procedure to follow in case of a pesticide accident; 6) applicators must keep records of their use of both general use and restricted-use pesticides for a period of 3 years (the information must be recorded within 14 days of application) and expires on December 31st

of the final year; 7) understand and comply with Worker Protection Standards; and 8) store pesticides in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.

We will have two training opportunities on Monday, February 11th at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Extension office.

Please call 723-4557 to

Attention Estill County farmers! Applications are now available for Estill County’s County Agriculture Investment Program (CAIP). This cost-share program assists farmers in making important on-farm investments. CAIP is funded through the Kentucky Agriculture Development Fund via the Kentucky Master Tobacco Settlement agreement initiated in 2000.

The application period is January 14th – February 1st. Application will only be accepted during this time. Please obtain your Farm Serial Number (FSN) prior to applying.

Application are available at the Estill County Conservation District, 1505 Richmond Road, Irvine. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. If you have questions, call 606-723-5104.

Farm Laws & Liabilities Seminar Jan. 31st

Attention farmers! Join us for a Farm Laws & Liability Seminar on Thursday, January 31st, 6:00 p.m. at the Estill County Extension

office, 76 Golden Court, Irvine. Special guest speaker is Clint Quarles, staff attorney for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. A meal will be provided so pre-register by calling 723-4557 by January 28th.

Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Trainings

A certified private pesticide applicator can use restricted-use pesticides to produce any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by him/her or an employer, or to the lands of a farmer-neighbor, if the application is made without compensation other than trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities. Certified private applicators also may train workers to satisfy Worker Protection Standards.

The minimum standards for Certified Private Applicators include the following: 1) have a practical knowledge of common pests and their damage; 2) be able to read

CAIP Cost Share Applications

Available Now

Newsletter Title

January 22, 2019

Estill County Farm Scoop Cooperative Extension Service Estill County 76 Golden Court Irvine, KY 40336 (606) 723-4557 Fax: (606) 723-5912 extension.ca.uky.edu

We can help...

Soil testing

Insect ID

Disease ID

Plant ID

Pond water testing

Livestock rations

Grain moisture testing

Farm visits

www.facebook.com/

EstillCountyKYCooperativeExtension

**Newsletter images by “clipart-library.com” and “openclipart.org”

In case of

inclement weather,

my meeting

cancellations or

office closings are

announced on

WKYT channel 27.

register if you plan to attend.

Fruit Tree Rootstock, Berry Plants, and More

We will be taking orders for apple and pear rootstocks through January 30th. If you want to propagate a favorite apple or pear, grafting is one of the easiest ways to preserve that cultivar. To graft, you will need scion wood (terminal branch segments from last year’s growth collected at the end of February) and a rootstock. If you do not know how to graft, come by the office for information or assistance.

We typically order Malling7 (55% of standard size) and/or MM.111 (80% of standard) semi-dwarf apple rootstock and a pear rootstock. Please place your order and prepay by January 25th. The rootstocks usually arrive by the last of February or first of March.

We will be taking orders for strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, asparagus, and Candy onion plants. Plants will be delivered in early April.

If you are interested or have questions, call our office at 723-4557.

Orders must be made and prepaid by March 15th.

Strawberry - Allstar or Earliglow $16.00 per hundred

Blueberry - Patriot or Bluecrop $6.00 per plant

Blackberry - Natchez $3.00 each

Raspberry - Tulamagic $2.00 each

Asparagus - Jersey Knight $1.00 per crown

Onion - Candy $4.00 per bundle

Reduce stress with good record keeping

Record keeping may not be every farmer’s favorite activity, and probably not the reason someone chooses farming as a career. With time, patience and a commitment to get it done, it can make your financial life a lot less stressful.

Record keeping doesn’t have to be difficult. You can use a ledger book or a computer—whatever helps you maintain consistency. Software programs can make your data more meaningful.

Software has become more user-friendly over time, and while it may not make the record keeping process fun, it could help you see the overall picture of your operation.

Make record keeping a team effort for your family. Sit down and work on the records and budget together. Perhaps one person can read the

information while another person types it into the software program or writes it in the ledger book. Also, if you do a little bit each day and don’t save it all up for the end of the year, you won’t become overwhelmed.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Department of Agricultural Economics has several tools online that could help with budgeting and decision making. Go online to http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/extbudgets.php to see what is available. If you prefer to keep records on paper, we have the Kentucky Farm Record Book available. Your first book is free and additional one cost $2.50 each. The record book format allows you to transfer numbers to the “IRS Schedule F” easily. USDA announces all FSA offices will reopen Jan. 24

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced that all USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices nationwide will soon reopen to provide additional administrative services to farmers and ranchers during the lapse in federal funding. Certain FSA offices have been providing limited services for existing loans and tax documents since January 17, and will continue to do so through January 23. Beginning January 24, however, all FSA offices will open and offer a longer list of

transactions they will accommodate.

Additionally, Secretary Perdue announced that the deadline to apply for the Market Facilitation Program, which aids farmers harmed by unjustified retaliatory tariffs, has been extended to February 14. The original deadline had been January 15. Other program deadlines may be modified and will be announced as they are addressed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily recalled all of the more than 9,700 FSA employees to keep offices open from 8 am to 4:30 pm weekdays beginning January 24. President Trump has already signed legislation that guarantees employees will receive all back pay missed during the lapse in funding.

For the first two full weeks under this operating plan (January 28 through February 1 and February 4 through February 8), FSA offices will be open Mondays through Fridays. In subsequent weeks, offices will be open three days a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays if needed to provide the additional administrative services.

Agricultural producers who have business with the agency can contact their FSA service center to make an appointment.

Marketing Class and Farmer’s Market Association Meeting

Attention vegetable growers! If

you want to learn more about

how to market your produce at

the farmer’s market or

roadside stand, Cooperative

Extension will have a learning

session called “Marketing for

All – Value Added Product

Development” on Wednesday,

February 27th at 6:30 p.m. We

hope to include updates on

the Home Baker law that was

passed.

Immediately after the session,

the Estill County Farmer’s

Market Association will have

their meeting. If you are

interested in selling producer t

the farmer’s market, they are

looking for new vendors to

participate.

If you plan to attend a session,

please pre-register by calling

723-4557.

Nuisance Weed Spraying Program The Kentucky Department of Agriculture offers a nuisance weed control program each year. This program consists of weed spraying demonstration plots. The department will provide the sprayer and enough chemical for the treatment of 10 acres of agricultural land or 100 gallons of spot spraying mix to be used on agricultural land. The department’s representative

will be present to demonstrate proper mixing and application techniques. A number of nuisance weeds can be treated under this program depending on the needs of the participant. This program is limited to broadleaf weeds.

Broadcast spraying demonstration plots consist of 10 acres of agricultural land will be treated with chemical provided by the department, application performed with a two-wheeled trailer type sprayer equipped with boomless nozzles, and with additional chemical provided by the participant, an additional 10 acres can be treated.

Spot Spraying demonstration plots consist of 100 gallons of broadleaf chemical mix which is applied until sprayer is empty, application performed with a two-wheeled trailer type sprayer equipped with a handheld spray wand used by the tractor operator, and with additional chemical provided by the participant, an additional 100 gallons can be sprayed.

For each demonstration the participant must provide water source, tractor and operator, and all chemical products must be labeled and the product label will be strictly followed. A maximum of 7 participants per county can be approved.

This program is designed to target weeds that have a negative impact on the participant’s agricultural production. The online

Ne wslette

r Title

application period to participate in this program is February 1 to February 28, 2019. To apply, visit the webpage http://www.kyagr.com/consumer/pest-and-recycling.html during the signup period. If you have questions about this program or weed control in general, contact me at the Estill County Extension office.

Soil Testing

Farmers, gardeners, and homeowners should consider soil testing to determine what nutrients are in their soils and what nutrients are lacking that must be added for proper growth of crops, pasture, vegetables, ornamentals, or lawns.

Estill County farmers can soil test through our office for FREE thanks to funding by the Estill County Extension District Board. Offer has some limitations. It takes about two weeks to get the results.

Frost Seeding Pastures

The frost seeding method allows seeds to be inter-seeded into undisturbed soils by scattering seed on top of the ground. The freezing and thawing action of the soil works the seeds into the soil where they can germinate. In Kentucky, the ideal time to frost seed is between

February 10 and March 1, with mid-February preferred. It is important to consider what forage species can be successfully frost seeded. Seeding red and white clover is recommended using this method. While it is possible to frost seed some grass species, it is typically less

successful and generally not recommended.

Mole Control Tips Each spring, I receive calls about mole problems in lawns. I have listed a few tips to help control moles.

Trapping is an effective control method. Use a scissor or harpoon type trap.

Locate active travel tunnels by using your foot to collapse the tunnel and come back to see if the mole repairs it.

There are fewer moles in your yard than you think-two or three moles per acre, at most.

Moles have a low reproductive rate; removing a few moles has a great impact on the population.

Be patient and persistent; keep moving the trap until you are successful.

Do not put chewing gum, chemicals, broken glass, or other objects in the burrows.

Another control option is a fake worm injected with a rodenticide into an active run. Some examples are Talprid and Tomcat Mole Killer.

For more detailed information, contact me and ask for UK Extension publication FOR-42, Managing Mole Problems in Kentucky.

Facial Recognition Technology for Cattle? Yes, you read that right! University of Kentucky researchers are working to make cattle producers’ lives less stressful, but to do that, they need pictures of cows. A team of scientists led by Jesse Hoagg, associate professor in the UK Department of Mechanical Engineering, is working to develop several technologies that would allow producers to use drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, to locate, identify and perform health checks on cattle. Josh Jackson, assistant extension professor in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and a cattle producer, said that part of the motivation for the project came while he was trying to find his Angus herd in the dark. “Many Kentucky cattle producers have jobs off the farm, and it gets tricky to locate black cows or any cows this time of the year when the sun sets so early,” said Jackson, assistant professor in the UK Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. “We want to lessen producers’ stress by helping them locate their animals quicker and help sick animals faster.” UK scientists are trying to develop facial recognition software to allow UAVs to identify cattle. Additional researchers on the project are Michael Sama, assistant professor UK Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and Ruigang Yang, professor in UK’s Department of Computer Science. “We hope to use this software to help producers identify potential problems with their cattle including diseases like pink eye and when more fly control is needed,” Jackson said. One of the first steps in the development of this technology is having producers submit photos of

Ne wslette

r Title

their cows’ faces, so UK researchers can develop a dataset that a computer can use for facial recognition. Jackson will accept photos of cattle of all breeds and ages. Producers can submit photos to ukcowmap@gmail.com or share them on their favorite social media page with the hashtag #ukcowmap. Photos should be as high-resolution as possible, and cell phone photos are acceptable. The photos need to capture the entire head of the animal, including the ears. Animals should be as clean as possible, but researchers understand that may not be possible since this has been such a wet year. The majority of the photos should be of the cattle facing straight ahead, but some side pictures are also acceptable. “Capturing the photo while the cow is in the chute makes our job easier as we can more easily separate out the background,” Jackson said. “Nonetheless, field photos are also acceptable.” Jackson will accept multiple photos of the same cow taken throughout the year as their coat and condition changes with the season.

MarketReady

Producer Training There will be a MarketReady Producer Training Program January 31st from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm EST at the Fayette County Extension Office. MarketReady seeks to educate local food

suppliers to help them succeed in today’s local markets. You will be taught how to establish an effective business strategy in order to succeed selling produce. A panel of professionals assembled with local and regional buyers and technical support professionals will build upon what will be covered in the training. If you're interested in selling to restaurants, grocers/wholesalers/retailers, and schools MarketReady can help you. Also, those who just want to explore ways to improve their sales skills, are considering or developing a new food business, and those currently selling to these markets who may want to improve their current business relationships can utilize this program. To register go to http://www.uky.edu/marketready/events/fayette-county-marketready-training and enter your name, email, phone, and company and click the submit button at the bottom of the page. A confirmation email will follow. Admission is $25.00 and covers the training binder, lunch, refreshments, and additional resources. For additional questions contact Alex Butler at 859-218-4383.

Woodland Owners Series

UK Cooperative Extension Service will offer a series of free webinars, Getting to Know Your Woodlands: A Primer for Beginners, on

five successive Thursday evenings in February and March.

The webinar series will be hosted by select county extension service (CES) offices, with local agents hosting the gatherings. Each session will last from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. The technology allows participants at each site to ask questions of the experts. North Carolina State University will host the first four sessions, while the final session will have a Kentucky-specific focus and offer several presenters from Kentucky agencies and organizations that work with woodland owners.

Feb. 21—Getting to Know Your Woodlands. Nearby county offices participating are Lee, Madison, and Wolfe CES.

Feb. 28—Managing Your Woodlands. Lee and Madison CES offer this one.

March 7 — Identifying and Managing Woodland Threats. Lee and Madison CES host.

March 14 — Wildlife and Woodlands. Lee and Madison CES host.

March 21 —Forestry and Wildlife Assistance in Kentucky. Nearby county offices participating are Lee, Madison, and Wolfe CES.

Kentucky Master Loggers can also receive two continuing education credits for each session they attend at a hosting county extension office. More

News letter

Title

information is available online at https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/webinars_upcoming .

Managing Limited Hay Supplies Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, UK Extension Beef Specialist Determine hay needs - Hay needed to overwinter a cow can be estimated relatively easily. If you know the mature weights of your cows, multiply the average weight by 3% and then by the expected number of days you will feed hay. Always add 10-20% more due to feeding losses, spoilage and longer feeding periods. Match hay quality to animal needs - Use limited forage wisely by matching quality to stage of production. Growing and lactating animals have the highest nutritional needs. Less Time - Limited hay stores can be stretched if you have the ability to limit the amount of time cows have access to the hay. This can only be done for mature cows that are in the dry, mid-gestational stage of production and are 5-6 body condition scores. Young and thin cows need additional feed to grow and replenish body stores and should not be limit fed. Purdue research demonstrated that limiting access to 8-12 hours did not have detrimental impacts on body weight or condition of mature cows. In this

work, restricting access to hay to 8 hours reduced hay disappearance by approximately 15%. Restricting access time to hay, however, resulted in a linear decrease in body weight gain in young, second calf cows. Researchers at the University of Illinois reported findings from a similar study. Low quality forage should not be restricted. Cows will need to consume as much ow quality forage as they can due to the low digestibility and low nutrient concentrations. If this management is used, the herd will need to be separated by age and production as lactating cows, late gestational and young or thin cows should not be restricted. Reduce feeding losses - Managing hay feeding can also aid in stretching limited hay stocks. Research demonstrated increased losses when unrolling hay on the ground. Hay is trampled into the mud from being walked and laid upon. Defecation and urination on hay will prevent intake as well. Hay rings should have sheeting around the bottom to minimize hay losses. Improved designs that keep bales elevated on the ground while allowing dropped hay to fall within the hay feeder also lower feeding losses. These feeders are more expensive up front but if hay is expensive, they can lower feeding costs.

Hay replacement - Replacing hay with other feedstuffs to supply the nutrients needed is feasible. A word of caution, when restricting hay the rumen will not be full. Stretch receptors on the rumen will lead to cows seeking to eat something even though nutritionally they won’t need to eat. This can lead to tree and fence damage or even cows getting out looking for something to eat. Giving access to low quality forage ad lib can curb this by giving cows something to eat and fill the rumen. Corn stover, wheat straw and other low quality forages can used. The typical fescue hay will contain 50-54% TDN and 7-9% protein on a dry matter basis. If one were to offer 1 lb of dried distillers grains, the protein supplied would be the equivalent of 3-4 lbs of hay while the energy from the distiller grains would replace 1.75 lb of hay. For dry, gestating cows soybean hulls can be used to replace average grass hay at a rate of 1.5 lbs of soyhulls per pound of hay. Cows should always be offered at least 8-10 lbs of long stemmed forage to maintain rumen health and lower the incidence of bloat. Other feedstuffs can be used to develop a low hay diet for beef cows. Be sure to work with a nutritionist to ensure the nutrient needs of the cows are met and to lower the risk of digestive disorders. Other nutrients should not be overlooked. (continued page 9)

Eric Baker

County Extension Agent for Agriculture/Natural Resources

E-mail: ebaker@uky.edu County web page: http://estill.ca.uky.edu

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Telephone: 606-723-4557

Limited Hay article continued… The rumen is approximately 80% moisture and a beef cow may need 10-20 gallons of water a day. If water availability is restricted, intakes will be depressed and milk or performance will be reduced. A high quality loose mineral should be provided at all times to ensure mineral and vitamins requirements are met. If supplement is offered, considered including an ionophore such as monensin or lasalocid to improve energy efficiency. Research has demonstrated the cows will maintain similar body condition when fed 200 mg/hd/d of monensin on 5-10% less feed. Sound management will allow you to

conserve hay without sacrificing animal

productivity. Remember that the animals’

nutritional needs should always come

first.

SAVE THE DATE !

Cattle producer meeting,

2/21/19, 6 p.m.

KY Alfalfa & Stored Feed

Conference, 2/21/19, 8a.m.,

Fayette County Extension.

Risks & Benefits of

Genetically Engineered

Crops, 2/28/19, 6:30 p.m.

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will

not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual

orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or

physical or mental disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West, UK College of Agriculture, 859-257-3879; Terry Allen or Patty

Bender, UK Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, 859-257-8927; or the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights,

Room 326-W Whitten Bldg., 14th & Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 (202-720-5961).

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID

IRVINE, KY PERMIT #6

Estill County 76 Golden Court Irvine, KY 40336 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED