Ag Report: Sept. 14, 2012

Gardeners gather Saturday

By Duanne Puckett

Ag 101 students at Collins High School visited the dairy show at the Kentucky State Fair – via a Skype broadcast from their teacher, Todd Stephens. He walked around with his cell phone in Louisville, videotaping various cows and heifers, discussed the differences and shared information about the breeds to the class in Shelbyville. Monitoring the computer while class members watched the large screen was Angel McAllister, the FFA reporter who is a senior.

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to clean up McClure Gardens

Saturday is clean-up day at the McClure Gardens on Burks Branch Road.

Gardeners, would-be gardeners, volunteers and the just-plain-curious are invited to attend a Put the Garden to Bed party at 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the McClure Gardens, which are near the entrance to Clear Creek Park in Shelbyville.

Volunteers will be pulling the gardens into more manageable boundaries, and there will be plants needing to go to good homes. Just bring a shovel and container to get your share.

In addition to that basic garden work, Iris Brown will show how to make herbal wreaths, and Becky Kirts will talk about harvesting and using herbs, which will include advice on making herbal vinegars. Light snacks will be served.

The rain date is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 29. For more information, call Walt Reichert at the Shelby County Cooperative Extension Service (633-4593).

Guaranteed loans program back on Oct. 1

The USDA has announced that guaranteed farm ownership loan funds for

Fiscal Year 2012 have been exhausted. Farmers and ranchers in Kentucky have received nearly $60 million in guaranteed loans through Aug. 31.

FSA-guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural credit to farmers who do not

meet the lender's normal underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a

guaranteed loan through a commercial lender, and the lender arranges for the guarantee.

FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principle and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used for both farm ownership and operating purposes.

The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, and the USDA said in a release that the guaranteed loan limit would increase to $1.302 million, an increase of nearly $100,000.

For questions regarding guaranteed farm loans, contact the FSA office on Howard Drive in Shelbyville.

Value-Added grants available

The USDA also is taking applications for its Value-Added Producer Grants, which are designed to help producers develop farm-related businesses that add value to basic agricultural products through branding, processing, product differentiation, labeling and certification, and marketing.

Grants may be used to develop business plans and feasibility studies (including marketing plans) needed to establish viable marketing opportunities for value-added products or for working capital to operate a value-added business venture or alliance. 

Applications are due by Oct. 15. More info is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_VAPG_Grants.html.

Whitetail deer seminars

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will conduct a hands-on course designed to provide basic instructions on providing a free-ranging sustainable food source for whitetail deer. The workshop will be held over the course of three sessions and will cover a variety of topics including deer biology and behavior, effects of deer on the local economy and ecosystem, the history of whitetail deer in Kentucky, hunting techniques and basic processing methods.

These sessions are 7-9 p.m., Sept. 27 and 7-9 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Louisville Nature Center and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area. All workshops are recommended for ages 16 and up and will be limited to 30 participants. Participants are also encouraged to attend all three sessions. Please send RSVP to Jason Nally at 502- 477-9288 or jason.nally@ky.gov.

Bulletin board

• U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) and Agriculture Commissioner James comer will host an ag awareness program at 8-10 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Daviess County Lions Club Fairgrounds, 6191 Highway 54 in Philpot.
• The Kentucky Cutting Horse Association will have a show Sept. 29-30 at the Rocky Fork Feeders Arena on Dover Road. For more information, send an E-mail to Judy Love a jlove@schlechtycenter.org.
• Introduction to Beekeeping, a 2-part beginner’s beekeeping class, will be at 7-9 p.m. Oct. 18 (part 1) and Oct. 25 (part 2) at the Shelby County Cooperative Extension Office, 1117 Frankfort Road. Classes are free, but reservations are required. Call 633-4593.
• The Shelby County Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. until noon, through Oct. 27 at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Vendors from Shelby and surrounding areas offer several varieties of season produce, plus eggs, jams, jellies, flowers, perennials, shrubs and trees. In addition there is handmade soap, jewelry, pottery, yarn goods and other crafts.

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