In December, there will be several meetings in Barton County and the surrounding areas that I thought everyone would like to be aware of. The first set of meetings are about the Farm Bill, and are being put on by the FSA offices in the counties with assistance from K-State Research and Extension. The informational meetings will discuss the upcoming farm bill, and what farmers need to know before they sign up for their respective plans. There are many new items that farmers will have to work with, and these meetings will go over what you need to be thinking about before you sign up. With the variability of the programs, and the uncertainty of future grain prices, having as much information about the current Farm Bill will also give you the best chance of selecting the best program for your farm. The Barton County meetings are scheduled at 1 p.m. on Dec. 8, located at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, at 592 NE K-156 HWY in Great Bend. At 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, there is another meeting at the Great Bend Recreation Commission located at 1214 Stone Street. We hope to see you there!
On Dec. 12, the Russell county office of the Midway district will be hosting a Crop Pest Management school at the Russell County Fair 4-H building in Russell. The school will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will cover various topics such as insects of common crops in the area, weed control and herbicide resistance, and various diseases in crops. The cost to attend the program is $20, and Commercial Applicators and Certified Crop advisor credits will be available. Please register for this class by Dec. 8, by calling 785-483-3157.
At noon on Dec. 15, there will be a Weed/ Herbicide Update meeting at the Great Bend Recreation Commission located at 1214 Stone Street in Great Bend. Following a chili feed sponsored by Ed Junior Farms, Dr. Dallas Peterson and Dr. Curtis Thompson, K-State weed specialists will go over the issues concerning the weed pressures in crops with various subjects including Herbicide resistance for Kochia and Palmer Amaranth. There is no charge to attend this update, but please register by calling 620-793-1910 by Dec. 10, for a head count. We must have 10 participants to hold the meeting.
Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Barton County K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910