Farmers planning to ship hay this winter need to be aware that Smith County (as is much of East Texas) is in the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Fire Ant Quarantine area.
Continue reading Fire Ant Quarantine and Hay.
November 2007 Archives
As we reach the beginning of the hay feeding season, here are a few tips for maximizing the return on your investment.
Continue reading Tips for Winter Hay Feeding.
Livestock producers in Smith County (and many other East Texas counties) are eligible for payment under the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) Livestock Compensation Program (LCP).
These payments are in association with losses that occurred from natural disasters that took place between January 1, 2005, and February 28, 2007.
Continue reading Farm Service Agency Livestock Compensation Program.
Just a few days after a local producer reported to me that he was the target of a scam attempt involving hay he had listed for sale on the Internet, I heard from our State Forage Specialist, Dr. Larry Redmon, that three different producers in Arkansas had been the targets of attempted scams as well.
Continue reading More Hay Scams Reported in the US.
I will be hosting a Private Pesticide Applicator Training Course on Monday, November 19, 2007, starting at 8:30 AM in the Smith County Extension office meeting room. This course is for people who would like to be able to purchase restricted use pesticides for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity on land that they own or lease. For more information, please read This Flier. Cost is $20 per person, which includes the training book.
Following this training, around 2 PM there will be another training for agricultural employers who have employees they need to train in pesticide safety. This Right to Know Class is free and last about 1 hour. This class is for farm workers who work with or around pesticides as a part of their job.
