Smith County Ag News May 2016

Transcription

1 Smith County Ag News May Chad Gulley County Extension Agent Ag/NR Smith County Ag Biz news column in the weekly Sunday s paper of the Tyler Telegraph. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

2 Forage Website: Beef Website: ONLINE PRIVATE APPLICATOR TRAINING For those needing a Private Applicator License, we will continue to offer the classroom style, face to face training opportunities in our office. There now is an online training as well for those interested. Here is the link to register for the Online Private Applicator Training: In the search box type in Texas Private Applicator. This training tool walks potential applicators through 11 topics, including Integrated Pest Management, reading and understanding pesticide labels, pesticide record keeping, recognizing pests and pest damage, and an updated pollinator protection module. At the conclusion of the course, after trainees pass a review exam, they will receive a certificate of completion and an electronic version of the D-1411 which they will then submit to TDA. The cost of the online course is $75, which includes the shipping and handling fees for the training manuals. Save the Date!!!!! August 1-3, 2016

3 Horse Owners Invited to Participate in Texas Equine Study Texas horse owners are invited to participate in a study of the Texas equine industry. The study asks about horse ownership, participation in horse-related activities, boarding facilities, and horse-related expenditures. Owners of businesses that serve the equine industry, such as feed stores, training facilities, farriers, and veterinarians, are also invited to participate in the survey. The online survey can be accessed from the link: The survey will remain open through May 1, Survey participants must be at least 18 years old. The Texas Department of Agriculture is sponsoring the study through the Texas A&M Equine Initiative to identify trends and issues in the Texas equine industry and to document the industry s contribution to the state economy. Results will be used to help address the current needs of the state s horse owners and related businesses. Studies by other researchers in 1998 and 2005 found that Texas was home to more horses than any other U.S. state and that the horse industry was an important contributor to the state economy. The current study will reflect changes within the industry and the statewide economy over the past years. For more information, see or contact Rebekka Dudensing at rmdudensing@tamu.edu or (979)

4 Aquaponics Construction Workshop Overton, Texas May 14, 2016 Agenda 8 am: Welcome and Announcements 8:30-930: Introduction to Aquaponics Joe Masabni, Extension Small-Acreage Specialist 9: : Design and Construction Clint Kripki, Emerald Aquaponics : Break 1115 Noon: Q&A - Joe Masabni and Clint Kripki Noon - 1 pm: Lunch break 1-2:30: System start up, Fish selection, Plant selection, Commercial Experiences Clint Kripki 2:30-2:45: Break 2:45-4: System tour and Q&A - Joe Masabni and Clint Kripki 4-4:30: Demo on how to build a radial filter Clint Kripki RanchTV

5 Common name: Lawn Burweed Latin name: Soliva sessilis Ruiz & Pavon Family: Asteraceae Life Cycle: Winter Annual Type: Broadleaf Description: Low-growing winter annual herb with small, tri-pinnately divided leaves. Fruits in the leaf axils during spring have sharp spines that can get caught on shoes, pets, etc. and cause pain. Control: Three-way products like 2,4-D, MCPP, and Dicamba; Atrazine, and Metsulfuron. Read and follow all label directions for control and the type of grass you have in your lawn.

6 Horticulture Field Day Thursday, June 23, 2016 Free Admission Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center Overton, Texas Field Tours 8:30 am Registration opens at North Farm area. 8:30 10:30 am Tour of Ornamental Trials at the North Farm Area. 10:30 11:45 am Tour of Ornamental Trials at the Demonstration Garden at the Main Building (Texas A&M AgriLife Center). Lunch 11:45 am 1:00 pm Sponsored BBQ lunch by the arbor at the Main Building. Presentations (TBA)

7 Upcoming Educational Programs: *Breakfast CEU Series 2016 **Note Meeting Location Change** *East Texas Garden Lecture Series *Grazing Land Program May 6 *Smith County Agriculture Tour May 13 * Private Applicator Training, May 20 Zika Websites and Mosquito Useful Information:

8 2016 Morning Breakfast CEU Series The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Smith County will host the Morning Breakfast CEU Series. This Morning Breakfast CEU Series will take place every other month on the first Wednesday of the month unless otherwise noted. Each session will last one hour starting at 6:30 a.m. until around 7:30 a.m. covering a CEU topic each session along with a Dutch Treat breakfast. A $10 fee for the series will be charged. For $10, a roster of attendance will be kept and you may attend one or all six of the programs for the series. The following is the schedule for this series: Wednesday, January 6, 2016, 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 6:30 a.m. at 1517 West Front Street, Room 114 Enter Park Street Entrance Wednesday, July 6, 2016, 6:30 a.m. at, T.B.A Wednesday, September 7, 2016, 6:30 a.m. at, T.B.A. Wednesday, November 2, 2015, 6:30 a.m. at, T.B.A. For more information contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Smith County at (903) Anyone needing special assistance at an Extension Program should contact our office at least one week prior to the program or event. Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.

9 Soil Health Workshop Making Cents of the Science Tyler, Texas May 6, 2016 Tyler Junior College West Campus 1530 SSW Loop 323 Tyler, TX Learn about soil biology and how to improve your property in 2016! Agenda 8:30 am Registration 8:50 Welcome and Introductions Ryan Walser, NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist 9:00 Restoring Soil Health and Ranch Livelihoods Dr. Richard Teague Vernon, TX 9:45 Improving Pastures and Livestock Productivity with Controlled Grazing Management Dr. Ann Wells Prairie Grove, Arkansas 10:30 Break 10:40 Rainfall Demonstration and Soil Aggregate Test William H Durham, NRCS Soil Health Specialist. 11:15 Importance of Biogeochemical Cycling and How Forms of Nutrients are Important to Nutrient/Pests William H Durham, NRCS Soil Health Specialist. 12:00 Lunch (provided) 1:00 Managing Cover Crops for Winter Grazing in Perennial Warm Season Pastures Jim Johnson Soils and Crops Consultant, Noble Foundation 1:45 Understanding the Socio-Cultural Challenges Facing Soil Health and Cover Crops Ryan Walser, NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist 2:05 Lake Fork Kikos, Our Soil Health Story Dr. Kraig Stemme Alba, TX 2:30 Break 2:40 Panel Discussion 5 Local Farmers and Ranchers will take questions about how cover crops have helped them increase forage in pastures, rangeland, and cropland. 4:00 Adjourn RSVP by 5/4/2016 Contact: Ryan Walser (space limited) CEU s Offered This Program is Sponsored By; USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. National Grazing Lands Coalition Texas Grazing Lands Coalition Northeast Texas GLC Blackland Prairie GLC Presented Smith County SWCD by: Texas Section Society for Range USDA Natural Management Legacy AgResources Credit Conservation Service Two Less Farms Green Cover Seed (NRCS), Texas GLCI, East Texas Seed TexasSulphur-Cypress A&M Agrilife Extension SWCD, and UpshurService Gregg SWCD TSSRM

10 SMITH COUNTY AGRICULTURE TOUR Friday, May 13, 2016 Third Annual Agriculture Tour 8:00 Registration/Board Bus (Wal-Mart parking lot on Hwy 64 W) 8:30 Scott s Miracle Gro 10:15 Brookshire s Grocery Company (Warehouse) 11:15 Lunch at Fresh 12:00 Fresh Tour 12:45 David Claiborne s Vegetable Tour 2:00 Return to Wal-mart Sponsors: Smith County Farm Bureau Texas Farm Credit R.S.V.P. to the Smith County Farm Bureau at by Friday, May 6.

11 OFFICE of Chad Gulley, County Extension Agent Ag/NR Private Applicator Training Friday, May 20, 2016 Smith County Extension Office Room West Front Street, Suite 116 Tyler, Texas :00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. An opportunity to obtain the required training for Private Applicators. Training only, testing will not be offered. Effective June 1, 2014, the Texas Department of Agriculture no longer offers paper exams. New testing procedures will be explained during the training. The training is required for all Private Applicators. Study materials are available for purchase for $40 including the Private Applicator General Manual, the Texas Department of Agriculture s Laws and Regulations Manual, and all the handouts/worksheets needed for this training. These materials should be purchased for review in advance of the training. A $10 training fee will be charged the day of the training. Cash or check only made payable to the Livestock and Forage Committee. Contact: *To register for Training and/or to purchase study manuals call (903) Anyone needing special assistance at an Extension program should contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office at (903) at least one week prior to the program or event. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 1517 West Front Street, Suite 116 Tyler, Texas Tel Fax AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

12 May Texas A&M College Station campus Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is pleased to announce the fifth conference focused on grassfed beef production. Consumer interest in natural, grassfed and organic beef continues to rise. If you d like to learn more about grassfed beef production and how it s different, mark your calendar for May 28-29, 2015 to be in College Station for this year s Grassfed Beef Conference. We re excited about the interest among participants and the outstanding lineup of speakers that will come together for this information-sharing opportunity. Here s a chance to learn more about beef production from pasture to plate. Here s a quick preview of the agenda: Overview of the US Beef Industry Handling Cattle for Wholesome Beef for more information Dr. Rick Machen rmachen@ag.tamu.edu Office To register go to: Register by phone Hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Animal Science Defining natural, grassfed and organic Growing forage the fundamentals Cattle types suited for grassfed beef Forage-based nutrition for cattle Preventative herd health Carcass fabrication a demonstration Consumers and their expectations A Taste of Texas Beef Marketing a unique product Sustainability

13 Certified Arborist Test Prep Course Become a Photos by aboutmytrees.com This course is designed to teach you arboriculture knowledge (the practice & study of the care of trees) and prepare you to take the ISA Certified Arborist Exam. All 16 chapters from the ISA Certification Study Guide will be covered in detail by professionals working in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry. When: July 29 & 30, August 5 & 6, :15am to 4:00pm Where: Rose Garden Center, Rose Room 420 Rose Park Drive Tyler, TX Cost: Regular registration fee - $250 (includes lunch & study guide) Scholarship registration fee - $150 (includes lunch & study guide) CEU registration fee - $95 (includes lunch) COURSE SCHEDULE: Friday, July 29, 2016 from 8:15-4:00 Soil Science, Installation & Establishment, Tree Identification, Pruning Saturday, July 30, 2016 from 8:15-4:00 Urban Forestry, Tree Selection, Water Management, Worker Safety Friday, August 5, 2016 from 8:15-4:00 Tree Biology, Tree Assessment & Risk Management, Tree Nutrition & Fertilization, Trees & Construction Saturday, August 6, 2016 from 8:15-4:00 Tree Support & Lightning Protection, Diagnosis & Plant Disorders, Plant Health Care, Climbing & Working in Trees To Register: Mail, , or Fax the registration form (next page) to: Samantha Martinez (City of Tyler Parks & Recreation Senior Secretary) Address: 2000 W. Front Tyler, Texas smartinez@tylertexas.com, Phone:(903) , Fax: (903) To pay by check or money order, make it out to City of Tyler, and mail it to Samantha. To pay by credit card, call Samantha after you have submitted the registration form to provide your credit card info (Visa, Discover, and MasterCard are the only accepted credit cards). Registration will be limited to 30 participants and ends on June 30, A limited number of scholarships are available to municipal employees and members of the Tyler Trees Committee. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, fill out the scholarship application (page 3) and submit it for approval to zgates@tfs.tamu.edu 24 hours of CEU s are available for those currently certified, and would like to take the course as a refresher If you have questions about the course, please call or Zaina Gates, East Texas Regional Urban Forester with Texas A&M Forest Service, at (936) , zgates@tfs.tamu.edu, or Cody Goldman, city arborist/forester with the city of Tyler, at (903) , cgoldman@tylertexas.com This course has been organized in partnership with Texas A&M Forest Service, Tyler Trees Committee, Texas A&M Agrilife, City of Tyler PARD, All About Trees, Arboreal Specialists, Artmire s Urban Forestry, & SFA Gardens PNPC. ISA requires a combination of education & experience to take the exam. Exam registration is not included with this course. Please contact ISA for requirements & exam registration.

14 Certified Arborist Test Prep Course Registration Form Regular registration fee - $250 (includes lunch & study guide) Scholarship registration fee - $150 (includes lunch & study guide) CEU registration fee - $95 (includes lunch) Paying by Check Paying by Money Order Paying by Credit Card Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Phone: Mail, , or Fax the registration form to: Samantha Martinez (City of Tyler Parks & Recreation Senior Secretary) Address: 2000 W. Front Tyler, Texas smartinez@tylertexas.com Phone:(903) Fax: (903) To pay by check or money order, make it out to the City of Tyler, and mail it to Samantha Martinez. To pay by credit card, call Samantha Martinez after you have submitted the registration form to provide your credit card info (Visa, Discover, and MasterCard are the only accepted credit cards). Registration will be limited to 30 participants and ends on June 30, 2016.

15 Certified Arborist Test Prep Course Scholarship Application Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Phone: Organization: Job Title: Job Duties & Responsibilities: What is your financial need: Signature: Date: A limited number of scholarships are available to municipal employees and members of the Tyler Trees Committee. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, fill out the scholarship application and submit it for approval to Zaina Gates, East Texas Regional Urban Forester, with the Texas A&M Forest Service at zgates@tfs.tamu.edu