August 2008 Archives

The Texas Agrilife Extension Service in Smith County is teaming up with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the East Texas Woods and Water Foundation to provide a FREE - Managing Small Acreage for Wildlife Workshop on Saturday, September 13, 2008.

The workshop will be held at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Nature Center in Tyler (11942 FM 848) near the UT Tyler campus.  Start time is 8:30 AM and the meeting concludes at 4:00 PM.

Topics to be discussed include: I'm from the Government and I'm Here to Help (agencies that assist landowners); Wild Turkey Research and Management in East Texas; Proposition 11 (converting Ag tax valuation to wildlife tax valuation); Antler Restricition hunting regulation; small pond management; wetland management; native grassland restoration practices; feral hog control; establishing wildscapes; food plot management; and timber management for wildlife.

Here is a complete agenda for the event (including speakers, topic titles, and driving directions) Smalllandownercoursesept2008.pdf

RSVP for planning and meal count purposes is requested by September 8th, to 903-566-1626 ext 220.

The Smith County Extension office will be hosting a Private Pesticide Applicator training and testing class for people wishing to obtain an applicator's license

The class will be held beginning at 8:30 AM on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at the Smith County Extension office (1517 W Front St, Ste 116, Tyler). 

Cost for the course is $25 per person, which includes the study guide which should be purchased and read before the class.  Call 903-590-2980 to register for this event.

This link to the Texas Department of Agriculture descibes the types of pesticide licenses in Texas.

This link to the TDA provides a list of Regulated Herbicides in Texas.

Pasture weed control can be an on-going and expensive process.  Some methods, like mowing pastures, can provide short term 'clean looking' pastures and a perverse form of recreation for some landowners looking for a little alone time, but really do not get at the root (so to speak) of the problem. 

Using herbicides to control pasture weeds can be very cost effective and efficient.  The Smith, Rains, Van Zandt, and Wood County Extension offices have teamed up to conduct herbicide control plots for blackberry/dewberry plants in Rains County.  This year, control plots for Carolina Horse Nettle have been added in a separate location in Wood County.

We are hosting a FREE tour and LUNCH of these plots on Friday, August 29, 2008, beginning at 8 AM and lasting until 1 PM.  We will begin near Hogansville (Rains County) and conclude with lunch in Golden (Wood County).

You must RSVP by August 22 to either b-triplett@tamu.edu or by calling (903) 590 - 2980 in order to help us in the head count and to get directions to the first stop.  Lunch is being sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.

If you are not sure of what blackberries or Carolina Horse Nettle look like, check out these links: Blackberry/Dewberry , Carolina Horse Nettle. 

To view a copy of last year's demonstration report, click on the link: blackberrydemoreport2007.pdf

Time has arrived for Smith County, Texas forage producers to enter the annual hay show.

The show is a platform for local producers to obtain forage test information on the hay they produced this year for a reduced price and to benefit local youth and conservation education efforts at the same time.

Entering the hay show is easy, all we need is a feed sack full of hay from a round bale or an entire square bale of hay from hay produced as small squares.

The hay is analyzed for Crude Protein and Digestibility and then ranked based on a pre-set formula.  The top 25 entries are sold at a benefit auction that takes place September 22 during the Howdy Neighbor Barbecue event at the East Texas State Fair.

Hay can be entered at any one of 13 locations in Smith County on or before August 22.

Click on the document below for a complete set of rules for the 2008 show. 2008hayshowrules.pdf