Dr. Victor L. Martin

Next week we will pick up our discussion of rotational no-till crops for our area. This week, let's take a moment and see what the weather of this past week means for the area. Unfortunately, as is often the case here, the price of meaningful rain is severe weather, especially during the spring and early summer. The tragic deaths in northern Stafford County are a reminder of just how quickly our weather can turn violent ...

Barton County Farm Bureau scholarships

Barton County Farm Bureau awarded four scholarships to Barton County Seniors whose parents are members of the Barton County Farm Bureau Association. The 2011 scholarship winners are from left to right; Brent Stoss son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Stoss, Allie Hipp, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hipp, Jennifer Funk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Funk and Matt Beran, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Beran Jr.

Julie Peterson

Well, after yesterdays storms my peonies are not looking their best, but last week they were definitely in their prime! I love watching my peonies peeking up through the ground in the early spring; it reminds me that warmer weather is just around the corner. This year I thought I might take a little time to research one of my favorite flowers, the peony, and answer some of my own questions. You know the ones, ...

State Cost-share Sign-up to begin May 16

The Barton County Conservation District will be holding their annual state cost-share sign-up May 16 through June 10. This is the perfect time to apply for funding assistance for completing conservation practices. Funding is approved by the Kansas State Conservation Commission through appropriations from the Kansas Water Fund.

Dr. Victor Martin

Last week's article discussed the importance of considering climate when deciding what crops may fit into a no-till rotation in this part of the world. There are numerous other factors that also need consideration and this week will continue this exploration.

Benefit the land, secure your future

May is American Wetlands Month and was created in 1991 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private sector partners to celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the Nation's ecological, economic, and social health and to educate Americans about the value of wetlands as a natural resource.

Dr. Victor Martin

This week's article returns to reducing tillage and crop rotations, specifically what broadleaf crops can we rotate with our traditional dryland crops of wheat, grain sorghum and corn. And what will it take for a crop to be successful in our area. While choices may seem limited, over the next decade options should expand to include choices suited to the climate of the area. What is driving the process is the increasing role of agriculture ...

PMC to celebrate 75 years with June Field Days

"The Manhattan Plant Materials Center (PMC) has been 'Delivering Plants with a Purpose' for 75 years, since 1936," said Eric B. Banks, State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). "A field day with a tour and breakout sessions is planned to bring awareness of the outstanding Plant Materials Program and its accomplishments." "To celebrate this anniversary, the PMC staff is hosting a field day on Tuesday, June 7, 2011," said Richard Wynia, PMC ...

Vic Martin

Originally, today's article was to feature potential broadleaf crops for dryland crop rotations in the Barton County area. Before getting to that discussion, there are some opportunities coming up for area producers and interested individuals worth mentioning. These are tours providing an opportunity to view crops under field conditions and help provide information for producers and agribusiness on varieties, hybrids, and often the effects of cultural practices on crop production. The first opportunity is close ...

Dr. Victor Martin column

Last week I mentioned no-till in regards to the 2011 wheat crop. Some thought the comments rather negative but that wasn't my intention. My point was while no-till has many positive benefits, it usually isn't as easy as deciding to no-till. Often when producers decide to no-till after using tillage for years or decades, it is under adverse conditions like drought and/or heat stress. This is the absolute worse time to eliminate tillage and count ...

Dr. Victor Martin Column

As I write this, there is a forty percent chance of rain and if you are reading this on Easter Sunday, hopefully the chance of rain is falling outside your window. If not, it means the wheat crop is continuing to decline and prospects for dryland corn in the ground aren't great. And while we are examining all this "good" news, the first cutting of alfalfa is still being hammered in many locations by alfalfa weevil in spite of repeated sprays on many fields.

K-State Research and Extension hosts program on districting

LARNED – An informational multi-county extension districting meeting Thursday, April 14, evening at Larned's J. A. Hass Building was well attended by several Barton County Extension representatives and county officials.

Dr. Victor L. Martin

This week and next week all the classes in the agriculture program are taking tests. While writing these exams my mind wandered, as it occasionally does, to when I was a student taking similar course several decades ago and how much the science of agriculture has changed.

Tallgrass tradition

The sky above the Flint Hills in Riley County was clear and blue as the sun rose April 12. It was a day cattlemen had been waiting for. After days of roaring southerly winds, conditions were calm.

NRCS announces opportunity for Organic Producers to implement conservation practices

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced the cutoff date of May 20, of another funding opportunity for both certified organic producers and those transitioning to organic production systems.

University team receives $9.6 million USDA grant to help develop solutions for beef cattle grazing s

Drought, flooding, extreme heat, subzero temperatures: All of these climatic events and more in Kansas can threaten the supply and affordability of the nation's beef supply. It's hard to do much about the weather, but a team of Kansas State University scientists will be trying to find solutions so cattlemen can better adapt to any future climate extremes in their grazing operations.

Wandering about wheat

Looking at wheat throughout the central region of Kansas during the first couple days of May, members of the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) labeled the crop in fairly average to slightly above average condition.

Barton County Farm Bureau awards scholarships

Trees need care through dry weather

The question that I seem to get most often right now is why are my trees dying? Most of the time, the answer is the drought. Even though we have had some moisture recently, we are still in a severe drought. Driving around the county, you will even see old, big Red Cedars dying in the tree rows. That is because we have had two summers that were extremely hot and dry which baked the ...

Divide remains in Congress over Farm Bill, food stamps

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it.

Kansas CRP meetings for landowners prior to signup hosted by PF

Pheasants Forever is hosting fifty-one informational meetings across Kansas for landowners and agricultural producers in advance of the USDA Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program general sign-up that runs May 20 through June 14. Led by Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists, landowners can learn how to increase their farm or ranch income while creating wildlife habitat in the process.

Even Animal Lovers Prefer No Rabbits in the Garden

This week, I found a column from K-State's Mary Lou Peter about the rabbits that are out and about. They may be cute hopping around in a field, but when they get into your garden, their cuteness wears a little thin.

MILC, SURE, and NAP will restart on May 8

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced today that farm payments, which had been temporarily suspended due to sequestration, are scheduled to resume today, May 8th. This includes payments for the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), the Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC).

Why Does It Matter?

This is finals week at Barton and many of the other colleges around the state. For instructors it's time to evaluate what students learned over the last semester. For students it's time for that one last push to maintain or raise their grades. While faculty see testing as a method to evaluate learning and adjust accordingly, students often see testing as a way to be tortured. Students focus on the grade while faculty focus on ...

Play safe on the farm

The dream of many young farm boys and girls is to ride on a tractor. For a youngster, the mammoth tractor epitomizes raw power, responsibility and coming of age.