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Greene County Residents,
Since beginning my career as the Agriculture & Natural Resource Purdue Extension Educator for Greene County in August 2014, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many of the community members and have gotten involved with organizations and programs both locally and around the state.
Growing up in Greene County, I have always loved the diversity that our county brings to Indiana. Ranking 5th in the state for beef cows and 4th for turkeys, we provide a huge impact in the Indiana Livestock Industry, along with being 6th in the state for forage-land. Greene County is continuously providing needed food supplies and natural resources for both our state and nation.
My passion for agriculture stems from my experience of growing up on a family farm, being a 10-year Greene County 4-H member and 4-year White River Valley FFA member. I am excited to further my involvement with our community and to be any assistance to those seeking help.
Should you have any questions pertaining to agriculture and/or natural resources, please do not hesitate to contact me at 812-659-2122.
Sincerely,
Sadie Davis Greene County ANR Educator
Important Upcoming Dates:
Purdue Extension
Greene County Agriculture & Natural Resource Newsletter
2015 FAMACHA Workshop, June 2, 6-‐9 PM, Putnam County Fairgrounds Goat Barn Code Red Program, June 9, 8:30-‐10:30 AM, Southwest Purdue Ag Center, Vincennes, IN Grazing 102, June 9-‐10, 1-‐6 PM, Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center, Dubois, IN Southwest Purdue Ag Center Field Day, July 9, 8 AM-‐12 PM, Southwest Purdue Ag Center, Vincennes, IN *For more information on these events, please visit https://extension.purdue.edu/greene for further details.
Extension App Records Horse Body Condition Score 2015 Year of the Sweet Pepper Website Helps Farmers Identify, Respond to Corn Ear Rot May Yard & Garden Calendar Topping-‐ The Unkindest Cut of All for Trees
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In This Issue:
HOW LONG IS A LIFE? I have wondered what is the life span of a cow could
be. If given the chance to live past the productive years, how long would a cow live? As we do these days, I checked the Internet for the answer. I found several references to cows living into the teen years if allowed. I would like for you to meet Sammy. She is a
Herford cow born April 1988 on the Robert Gastineau farm. She and her half sister were purchased by me on October 25, 1988 to start again a herd on the Howell farm. The previous herd was sold after the death of the farm owner at that time. Her first calf was born March 8, 1990 and the last of 17 calves was born August 30,
2008. Sammy serves as the lead cow for the herd making it easy to move cattle from one field to another. If Sammy comes, the herd will follow. The winter of 2013-‐2014 was so harsh for the livestock and me. I separated Sammy
from the herd to feed her as she seemed less able to fight at the feed bunk for her share. Also I fenced off an area for Sammy to walk to the horse barn to eat alfalfa hay that was feed to the horses. She had eaten grass during the warm months but seem to have difficulty eating the coarser round baled hay. The only other thing I have done to take special care of Sammy was to trim her front hooves as they were beginning to grow long. Sammy turned 27 years old in April of this year. The question remains. How long could a cow live? How long will Sammy live? Only a
higher power that has allowed me to know Sammy and to care for her knows the answer. Sadly, some day, I will know the answer too.
Writer: Martha Jackman, a Native American farmer from Greene County, Indiana and a member of the Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation.
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MAY/JUNE 2015 GREENE COUNTY AG & NATURAL RESOURCES
Extension App Records Horse Body Condition Score Extension horse specialists from Purdue University and the University of Nebraska have developed an app that enables
smartphone users to calculate a horse's body condition score and record the score with a photo of the horse. The Horse BCS app will be helpful for any horse owner or other trained equine professional. Law enforcement
personnel also will benefit from the app, along with 4-‐H'ers and their leaders, as they learn the proper technique of caring for a horse. "It's a numerical system where you assign a number based on some physical parameters that measure how much fat is
covering the horse's body," said Colleen Brady of Purdue Extension. "Body condition scoring is a vital part of monitoring your horse's health and assessing your feeding program. Changes in body condition can be indicators of other health issues, as well." Brady partnered with University of Nebraska-‐Lincoln Extension specialist Kathy Anderson in developing the app. In
additional to the mobile app, there is also a desktop application that syncs with the mobile device and allows the user to print their condition score records or save them with their other horse management files. For more information about Horse BCS, visit www.tinyurl.com/horsebcsapp. The app is available at iTunes and Google
Play for $1.99. Writer: Carlee Glassburn, Source: Colleen Brady; Purdue Horse Extension Specialist
2015 Year of the Sweet Pepper The National Garden Bureau has declared 2015 to be the
Year of the Sweet Pepper! Sweet bell peppers are cultivars of Capsicum annuum. Sweet peppers are called sweet because they lack the gene that produces capsaicin -‐ the chemical that gives hot peppers their heat. While the 3-‐4 lobed, blocky,
bell-‐shaped peppers are most common, sweet peppers come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Other shapes of sweet peppers include elongated banana, round cherry, tapered horn and flattened "cheese" types. Most all peppers are green in color when they are immature but ripen to red, yellow, orange, white or purple as they mature. Some cultivars may show all of these colors at various stages of ripening. And many cultivars are both ornamental and edible! In the garden, pepper plants thrive in full sun and well-‐
drained soil. You want plants to concentrate first on growing healthy foliage and roots; flowers and fruit will follow. Give the plants adequate space to grow with good air circulation, a minimum of 18 inches between plants. Sweet peppers can be harvested early while still
immature green, which encourages the plant to produce more peppers. However, full flavor and color require waiting until the fruits ripen, thus signaling the plant to slow down production of flowers and subsequent fruit. Sweet peppers can be stored for 2-‐3 weeks in the warmer part of the refrigerator in plastic bags. Peppers can also be frozen or dried for longer storage.
Writer: B. Rosie Lerner; Editor: Olivia Maddox
Website Helps Farmers Identify, Respond to Corn Ear Rots
A website developed by plant pathologists from Purdue University and a nationwide partnership of research institutions could help farmers better understand and respond to the threat of mycotoxins and ear rots in corn. The website also provides information on how to properly store moldy grain and the characteristics of various types of mycotoxins. Ear rots occur when certain fungi infect corn. Several of
those fungi produce mycotoxins, which accumulate in grain. Mycotoxins can be harmful to livestock and humans if contaminated grain is used in livestock feed or human food products. Mycotoxins are natural chemicals that are very stable and not easily eliminated from contaminated grain, said Charles Woloshuk, professor of botany and plant pathology and member of the website development team. "Prevention is the most effective management
strategy to reducing the impact of ear rots and mycotoxins," Woloshuk said. "We created the website to make management information readily accessible to farmers and agribusiness personnel so they can take appropriate precautions to prevent ear rots and manage mycotoxins if they occur in the grain." Woloshuk said the team will regularly update the
website with new information based on research results. To view the website, go
to https://www.purdue.edu/mycotoxin/. Writer: Darrin Pack; Source: Charles Woloshuk
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MAY/JUNE 2015 GREENE COUNTY AG & NATURAL RESOURCES
May Yard & Garden Calendar
HOME (Indoor plants and activities) • Many indoor plants can be moved to shady
locations outdoors but only after danger of frost is past. Plants will dry out more often outdoors, so keep a close eye on soil moisture. Sinking the pots in soil will help slow down moisture loss.
• Now is a good time to take cuttings of houseplants to increase a collection or share with friends. Root cuttings in media, such as vermiculite, perlite or potting soil. Roots grown in water tend to be weak from lack of oxygen and do not adjust well to planting in soil.
• Fertilize houseplants according to label directions. Foliage plants require relatively high nitrogen fertilizer; flowering houseplants respond best to fertilizer high in phosphorus.
YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits) • Prune early spring-‐flowering trees and shrubs
after flowers fade. • Follow a spray schedule to keep home-‐orchard
crops pest free. While trees are in bloom, use fungicide sprays without insecticide to avoid injury to bees. Follow label directions.
• Thin fruits of apple trees, if needed, about three weeks after petal fall. Apples should be about 8 inches apart.
• Apply fungicides to roses to control diseases, such as black spot.
GARDEN (Vegetables, small fruits and flowers) • Pinch chrysanthemums and annual flower plants
to keep them compact and well-‐branched. • Thin seedlings of early planted crops such as
carrots, lettuce, spinach and beets to their proper spacing.
• Harvest early plantings of radishes, spinach and lettuce.
• Harvest asparagus by cutting or snapping spears at or just below soil level.
• Harvest rhubarb by cutting, or grasp the stalk and pull it up and slightly to one side.
• Remove blossoms from newly set strawberry plants to allow better runner formation.
• Remove unwanted sucker growth in raspberries when new shoots are about a foot tall.
Source: B. Rosie Lerner; Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Topping-‐ The Unkindest Cut of All for Trees
If a bad haircut were fatal, you would be very choosy about your hairstyle. However, each year hundreds of homeowners have their trees pruned by topping; a horticultural “bad haircut” that shortens the life of the tree and leads to greater expense later. Tree care professionals and university experts’ cautions tree owners that topping a tree is the kiss of death in many instances. This damaging pruning practice can shorten the life span of trees significantly and the damage is long-‐term where in some instances the beheaded tree will die within a few years, if not less. The haircut analogy breaks down when you look at what
happens after the tree topping occurs. Whereas hair just continues to grow out from the same follicle, branches do not continue to grow out from the same growing point. Tree limbs sprout from previously dormant buds just below the internodal pruning cut. These weak limbs are easily ripped from the tree in
storms causing damage and creating a liability for property owners. It has been long known that tree topping is harmful to trees yet the practice of tree topping continues. Reputable arborists will work with a tree’s natural growth habit when pruning and understands the importance of pruning and tree health. Proper pruning can extend the life of a tree and reduce ongoing homeowner expense, however, once a tree is topped, it will require much more frequent pruning to prevent branch failure, costing the owner more money. The best advice is to hire reputable tree care companies,
which have recognized qualifications and insurance. Ask the company for credentials from professional organizations such as the International Society of Arboriculture and the Tree Care Industry Association to prove their knowledge and abilities.
Source: Lindsey Purcell; Purdue Urban Forestry Specialist
Pesticide Applicator Recertification Program (PARP) PARP is the pesticide and manure application continuing education program for Indiana’s growers. For those individuals needing to take the initial, CORE exam, you can find more information at the following site: https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/ppp/Pages/Exam-‐Opportunities.aspx
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service Greene County Office 4503 W State Road 54 Bloomfield, IN 47424
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Sadie Davis Purdue Extension Greene County
Ag & Natural Resource Extension Educator 4503 W State Road 54 Bloomfield, IN 47424 [email protected] Office: 812-‐659-‐2122 Fax: 812-‐659-‐9155
https://extension.purdue.edu/greene
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