Agriculture

Crop reports show slight increases

The latest reports released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show some improving crops in Kentucky, including slight increases for corn, soybeans and burley.

Corn was forecast for 104.7 bushels, up slightly from September, soybeans at 53.7 bushels, up 14 percent – although 7 percent below last year – and burley at 148 million pounds, up 5 percent from September and 16 percent from last year.

Hay also was forecast at 4.74 million tons up 17 percent.

Shelby Farmers’ Market closes season Saturday

The annual Shelby County Farmers’ Market wraps up its season on Saturday morning.

The market, which is held in the barn at the Shelby County Fairgrounds on Midland Trail, is open from  8 a.m. until noon.

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.

Thompson wins big titles at national shorthorn show

Morgan Thompson, a Spencer County girl whose roots in dairy cattle are deep in Shelby County soil, took home several big prizes during the World Dairy Expo Milking Shorthorn Show last month in Madison, Wis.

Fall has arrived with two threats of frost so far (but none that materialized for the farm.) Frost is inevitable, of course, it happens every year, so let’s get organized for the return of our tropical to the not-so-great indoors.

The lush plants that spent the summer out on the patio or are now faced with a less than ideal existence indoors…but there are some things we can do (including lowering our expectations in some cases) to help them get through the winter in the healthiest way possible.