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Kentucky
Department of Agriculture |
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Shiitake
GrowerAssociation meeting.
The
association had a great meeting at
Bernheim
Forest
on
Jan 31st at
1PM
.
We had approximately 30 people in attendance. The directors
present were George and Sandi Deutsch, David Keal, Kathy
Nelson, and Cathy Rock. The
purpose of the association was explained by Kathy Nelson:
promoting a common voice for shiitake growers, Education of
consumers and potential growers, locating hard to find
supplies, etc. The
history of the steering committee was discussed by Sandi
Deutsch. We have
been meeting since April 2002.
We have done a feasibility study of the possibility of
developing a market for our mushrooms, now we are working on a
study of developing a cooperative market or distribution
system. This will
also include a business plan and find some possible buyers,
and how many pounds they would need. John Cotten talked for a
few minutes on Anti Trust Laws. Attendees were asked to fill
out questionnaires about their operation and where they wanted
it to go. Also they were asked what they would like to see
happen at the next meeting and when and where it should be.
Most said that Bernheim was a good central place. Forms
for the charter membership were passed out.
To date we have 6 new members.
Thanks to everyone for the great meeting. Source: Sandi
Deutsch. MMP/Team HOPE. Have Fun, Make $$$, Help People.
Picture
source: http://amos.catalogcity.com/
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Livestock
Tracking Systems Demonstration in Spring of 2004
Protecting
American animal agriculture by safeguarding the health
of all commodity based animals and there by assuring
the wellbeing of
U.S.
citizens
is of paramount importance. The United States Animal
Identification Plan (USAIP) will act to insure the
wellbeing of the citizenry by enacting a national,
state based animal identification program. The USAIP
currently supports the following species and/or
industries: bison, beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine,
sheep, goats, camelids (alpacas and llamas), horses,
cervids (deer and elk), and poultry (eight species
including game birds), and aquaculture (eleven
species). This is in response to the need for tracking
animals suspected to be carrying BSE and/or BSE like
diseases. Due to the importance of the beef cattle
industry to Kentucky, UK, KDA, and KCA are far ahead
of the national curve and have testing a number of
methods for facilitating rapid animal identification
through electronic ID tagging [radio frequency chip (RFID)]
and a scanner reading device. This process is called
EID or Electronic Identification system. The chip does
not store any information other than a 15-digit
number. Scanners come in many forms from handheld
wands to walk thru loop units. The best comparison to
EID technology is the bar-code technology used in
retail stores. state veterinarian has the authority to
define a premise for the state and has the
responsibility to either administer a system for
assigning these numbers or contacting with someone to
provide that service.
Click
here for full story.
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QUADRIS
AND WARRIOR USE ON SOYBEAN: A MEANS OF CAPTURING
ADDITIONAL YIELD?
In
2003, an estimated 30,000 acres of soybean in
Kentucky
were
treated during early- to mid-pod formation (R3 to R5)
with a single application of Quadris fungicide (6.2 fl
oz/A) + Warrior insecticida (2.56 fl oz/A). This
represents a major change in how soybean is produced
here, since almost no fungicides and very little
insecticide have been applied to soybean over the past
20 years. Activity in 2003 was the result of a
"guarantee program" initiated by the
chemical manufacturer, Syngenta. This program did not
target any specific insect or disease pests, and was
based solely upon an observed +6.85 bu/A average yield
response to the treatment in 13 grower fields in
southern
Indiana
and
Kentucky
during
2002. The cost of applying 6.2 fl oz/A Quadris + 2.56
fl oz/A Warrior is about $23/A, assuming a $4/A cost
for application. For
full story click here
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BSE
final report by Dr. Ron DeHaven, Chief Veterinary USDA
Officer 9, 2004.
"To
summarize, the epidemiological tracing and DNA
evidence proves that the BSE-positive cow, which was
slaughtered in Washington on December 9, 2003, was
born on a dairy farm in Calmar, Alberta, Canada on
April 9, 1997. She was moved to the
United
States
in
September 2001 along with 80 other cattle from that
same dairy in
Alberta
,
Canada
.
A brain sample collected from this positive cow tested
positive on December 23 of 2003. The epidemiological
investigation to find additional animals from the
source herd led to a total of 189 premises in the
United
States
.
Complete herd inventories were conducted on 51 of
these premises in three states --
Washington
,
Oregon
and
Idaho
.
And these herd inventories involved the examination of
the identification on more than 75,000 animals. All of
those herd inventories have now been completed and
appropriate analysis has been performed. No other
premises remain under hold order at this time. A total
of 255 animals of interest were identified on 10
premises in those three states. "Animals of
interest" are defined as animals that were or
could have been from that source herd in
Alberta
.
All 255 animals were sacrificed, and BSE testing was
negative on all of them. The carcasses from all of
these euthanized animals were disposed of in landfills
in accordance with federal, state and local
regulations. Included in the 255 animals of interest
were 28 that were positively identified as being part
of that group of 81 animals that entered the U.S, and
of course that 81 included the positive cow. There
were also 7 heifers that were positively identified
out of a group of 17 heifers, which were known to have
originated from that source herd in
Alberta
,
Canada
.
It's not believed that all of those 17 actually
entered the
United
States
;
but nevertheless all of them would be considered
minimal risk due to their age as well as the fact that
they also because of their age would not have
presumably been exposed to the same feed source that
infected the positive animal. So a summary of the 255
animals that were sacrificed and tested negative, 28
were known to be part of the 81 that entered the
United States; 220 couldn't be excluded and therefore
might have been part of that 81, and then 7 heifers
that were part of the group of 17 heifers, some of
which but perhaps not all of which entered the United
States.
Click
here for full story
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KSU
small Farm Program
Provides
one-on-one educational assistance to limited-resources
small farmers. Participating farmers are taught
decision-making skills, production practices,
marketing skills, and are encouraged to utilize
sustainable farming techniques.
Click
here for full story.
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More
KSU news...
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Advantages
of Using Artificial insemination to breed dairy
heifers.
Using
artificial insemination to breed dairy heifers has
several advantages. Two are fewer problems with
difficult births for first-calf heifers and a supply
of genetically superior heifers for herd replacements
or to sell to other producers. Having difficult births
with first-calf heifers is always a concern,
especially for
Holstein
breeders.
These problems are costly in terms of calf, and
possibly cow, death; decreased milk production and
increased days cows are open.
Call Extension Office for more information
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2003-2004
- Influx of $1,172,270 /
$2,295,89 Phase-I funds into
Jefferson
County
economy.
$
35,500 /$71,000 Model Programs; $24,325
Kentucky
Shiitake
Mushroom Growers Association;
$295,509
/ $591.018 In Town Winery, LLC; $61,436 / $122,872
Felice Vineyards, LLC; $48,750 / $97,500 Broad
Run Vineyards; $10,000 / $20,000 Candle Bee
Farm; $271,750 / $543.500
Kentucky
Freshwater
Prawn
Alliance
;
$300,000
/ $600,000 Shuckman Fish Company and Smokery;
$125,000
/ $250,000 ApoImmune; $125,000
University
of
Louisville
.
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IT'S
NOT TOO LATE TO CONTROL PEACH LEAF CURL AND
PLUM
POCKETS.
Peach
leaf curl disease, caused by the fungus Taphrina
deformans occurs on peaches, apricots, and nectarines
in
Kentucky
commercial
orchards as well as in home landscapes.
A similar, but less common disease, plum
pockets, caused by the fungus Taphrina communis,
occurs on plums. These two diseases are easy to
control with a single fungicide application, but a
spray needs to be applied now, while the trees are
still dormant. Symptoms.
Peach leaf curl is easily recognized in late
spring by the thickened, folded, puckered, and curled
leaf blades. These
symptoms may be present on the entire leaf or just on
parts of the leaf.
Infected leaves or parts of leaves soon acquire
a red or purplish coloration, making them especially
conspicuous. In
some cases, nearly every leaf on a tree may be
infected. The
diseased areas develop a powdery gray coating (fungal
spores) and leaves may then turn brown, wither, and
drop from the tree.
Yearly defoliation resulting from peach leaf
curl can seriously weaken the trees.
Trees free of disease will bear better crops
and withstand other diseases and environmental
stresses more successfully.
For
full story click here
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2004
IPM
TRAINING SCHOOL
The
2004 IPM Training School has been scheduled for
Wednesday, March 17.
The meeting will be held at the UK Research
Center in
Princeton
.
Registration will open at
8:30
AM
with
the meeting starting at
9:00AM
and
ending about
3:30
PM
.
Advance registration is not needed and the
meeting is open to the public free of charge.
Program will apply for
CEU's for Certified Crop Advisers and hours for
Kentucky Pesticide Applicator Training.
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Click
here for full story
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