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Ag Blogs -
Rick Snell
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Tuesday, 23 March 2010 08:32 |
 Just like Christmas, the farm safety course that we teach at the county extension office comes but once a year. Hopefully we will have youth signing up as if they were lining up for Christmas presents.
Our tractor safety class for 14 and 15 year old youth will be starting in April.
There will be 5 class sessions and you need to attend at least four of the five.
The class will meet from 6:00 - 9:00 in the evening on April 8, 13, 19, 20 and 22. All sessions will be in Great Bend. All but one will be at the Extension Office.
The other one will be at Straub International. The cost will be $15. We need your money by April 7.
We need each student's name, social security number, age, date of birth, address, phone number, parent's name and farm employer (if you know who it will be).
When you enroll at the Barton County Extension Office, 1800 12th Street (corner of 12th and Baker) in Great Bend, students will receive their book for the course.
Students will need to read the first three chapters and answer the questions at the end of each chapter.
A parent or guardian will need to attend at least one of the class sessions. If the student is 16 or older, then we ask that the employer, who is asking them to take the course, to please attend. We feel it is beneficial for the parent or employer to see what is being taught.
This will not be a course to teach young people how to drive a tractor. The driving practice and test need to be completed by the employer or parent. We used to do the driving part but time restraints prevent us from doing so except in unusual cases. Most counties do not do the driving part anymore.
The actual safety training (Hazardous Occupations) on tractors and machinery is supposed to involve 20 hours of instruction. About half of that really should be the driving practice and testing. Most youth will do better if they actually get to learn on the tractor they will be driving on the job.
If you are a farmer or agri-business person interested in helping teach the class, call 620-793-1910.
---000--- NEARLY TIME FOR OATS
Oats are an early spring planted crop that I get questions about every year.
There are several reasons why people may plant oats. One is that it makes excellent hay and that is probably our number one usage for them.
Some people like to plant oats as a cover crop for alfalfa or to mix in with an alfalfa planting or to plow down as an organic green manure crop. In the corn belt, they plant oats for feed grain or for even milling quality to go into human food. Our hot, windy days in early summer usually make low test weights and that´s not what they want. Although the standard is considered 32 pounds per bushel, grain buyers want at least 36 pounds and will pay premiums sometimes for 40 pounds per bushel test weight oats.
For forage, some of the better yields have come from Gem, Jerry, Don, Jay, Reeves and INO9201. In our area, where not a lot of oats are grown, you are probably at the mercy of whatever you can get your hands on.
---000--- TIME RUNNING OUT FOR NEW ARRIVALS
Each winter, we get a new arrival at the extension office. It heralds the chance for area residents to get their own bundle of joy each spring. In both cases, the arrival requires no diapers and no midnight feedings.
A lot of you have put off ordering trees until now and your time is getting short. We are starting to run out of some species. So get yourself down to your county extension office and order. I know you´ve got spring fever or will have after a cold weekend of watching basketball. Let´s look at what we have to offer you.
Earlier this winter, we had some bitterly cold wind chills and blizzard-like conditions even with just a little bit of snow. Think how much you could have saved in energy bills if you had a windbreak of trees to the north and west. If you already have an established windbreak, you know how much warmer it felt.
What does it take to order trees and shrubs and get them planted and off to a good, healthy start? Really, it requires only a little money, a belief in conservation and a willingness to help bundles of seedlings grow.
We offer a wide range of Kansas-adapted, bare root seedlings in low-cost bundles of 25. They include seven shrub species, 19 deciduous tree species and six evergreen species.
The Kansas State Forest Service also is offering four species of container-grown evergreens in bunches of 25. Plus, it´s providing stratified black walnut or pecan seeds (100 per order) and four bundle selections that mix wildlife-enhancing trees and shrubs.
These seedlings are meant to help individuals establish good conservation practices on their land. By law, no one can buy and/or resell these for landscaping plants. That´s not to say two parties couldn´t split a bundle as long as they plant them for conservation purposes.
Other uses besides home windbreaks, may include: wildlife plantings, Christmas
tree farms, firewood lots and field and livestock windbreaks.
The foresters begin shipping this month, but will continue taking orders through May 3. They will fill orders on a first-come, first-served basis. So those interested in specific species need to get with it soon.
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