Ag report: July 25, 2014

Kentucky Small Ruminant Profit School

offered for first time

The Small Ruminant Profit School (SRPS) is now taking registrations. SRPS is an educational program of four classes over six month for sheep and goat producers that covers topics ranging from breeds, types of operations, facilities/equipment, health management, parasite management, foot care, marketing, genetics & selection, and much more.

Benefits of SRPS:

• Affordable classes that are packed with useful information and resources for all goat and sheep producers.
• Participants who have been in the business for 3 years or less will receive personal mentors to help smoothly implement the new information it in your operation.
• Participants will be able to use the Goat Herd Improvement Program, also for sheep too, offered by Kentucky State University. This program is so easy to use and will give you incredible information regarding the efficiency of your herd.
• If you are not a current member of the Kentucky Goat Producers Association or the Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association, your fee will include a one year membership.

Classes will be at the Montgomery, Hardin, Trimble and Warren county extension offices on the following dates Oct. 4, Oct. 25, Dec. 6 and March 14, 2015, with the Oct. 25 class at the Annual Producer Conference at the Cave City Convention Center.

The fees for the class is $7 for KGPA  or KSWPA members and $100 for non-members, which includes the membership fee.

To register, visit https://kysheepandgoat.org/SRPS.html. Payment is accepted online or by check.

For more information, email or call Corinne Belton at corinne.belton@uky.eduor 502-633-4593 or Kelley Yates at 502-682-7780 or kyates@kysheepandgoat.org.

State offering spay/neuter grants

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is offering grants totaling $150,000 to help Kentuckians spay and neuter their pets.

Grants are limited to a maximum of $5,000 and the application must be submitted by Tuesday. The program is funded by sales of Kentucky’s spay/neuter license plate. The Kentucky Animal Control Advisory Board also accepts donations to the program.

Applications must be filled out completely and mailed to Spay/Neuter Kentucky Program, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, 500 Mero Street, 7th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601.

“It’s important to spay and neuter pets as a matter of public safety and for the well-being of the animals,” Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. “This is a very popular program that helps control the population of unwanted animals in Kentucky.”

Fiscal courts and 501(c)(3) organizations more than three years old are eligible to apply for the grants. Eligible applicants may use funding to hold a spay/neuter clinic or run a voucher program.

For more information, or to download an application, go to the Kentucky Animal Control Advisory Board’s website, www.kyspayneuter.com. To get a spay/neuter license plate, ask your county clerk when you renew your vehicle license.

Datebook

• The July meeting of the Shelby County Beekeepers Association is at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Pat Hornback Apiary.
• The Shelby County Extension Office will offer a series of Green Thumb Gardening once a month at 1117 Frankfort Road. The classes include establishing an emerald green lawn, Aug. 21; propagating plants through cuttings, Sept. 18; and putting the garden to bed/spring bulbs, Oct. 16. The cost for the series of classes is $15. Classes will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. except for the fruit tree pruning class, which will be from 9 to 11 a.m. For one class, the cost is $5. Reserve a space by calling 633-4593.
• The Farmland, Food and Livable Community Conference is scheduled for Oct. 20-22 at the Hilton Lexington Downtown. Participants will tour area farms, have mobile workshops and dine at a farmer-chef connection banquet. For more information on the conference, visit: www.farmland.org.

The Kentucky Ag Report is compiled weekly from news releases distributed by Keeton Communications and the Kentucky Press News Service.